Faith is not an optional ingredient in your relationship with God. Faith, simply put, means believing that God is telling the truth about what He says, and that what He says about anything establishes what is true. You don't get very far with God by calling Him a liar.
Hebrews 11:6.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Many times we shy away from asking too much of God, because we don't want to put Him on the spot, or because we're afraid that He "doesn't do things like that." However, we serve a God to whom nothing is impossible, a God who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we are able to ask or think. Our God has encouraged us to come boldly before His throne to seek grace in our time of need.
As we grow in our knowledge of Him, and as we grow in our obedience to His will, we can grow also in our confidence toward Him, knowing that we will receive those things that we ask of Him in accordance with His will, because we do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
Hebrews 11 is a superb chapter on faith, often called the "Hall of Faith," with a listing of heroes of the faith from the Old Testament. Read them and meditate on these lives of victory for God. May they inspire us to grow closer to the Lord and to do His will in our lives and out churches.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
I love the Fourth of July. I love watermelon and picnics and fireworks. And I am so grateful to God to have been born an American. Our country has its problems, but God has also blessed us with wonderful freedoms and abundance. Praise God for the United States of America.
If you have a moment, take a listen to one of my all time favorite songs, one that both George W. Bush and Barack Obama used to affirm their campaigns and their own love of America. Click BROOKS AND DUNN sing ONLY IN AMERICA
As we approach the Fourth of July, Remember to Pray for President Barack Obama
I am glad that President Barack Obama decided to wear a flag lapel pin as President. He started wearing the pin again after a veteran gave him a pin in Pittsburgh on April 15, 2008, while Obama was campaingning there, so Obama wore it all day, and then more regularly thereafter.
As Obama originally said, a flag pin is not a substitute for true patriotism, nor is it proof of such patriotism. But it is a nice thing to honor the symbol of one's country, and it also honors all the men and women who have died to keep us free. So this is a very good decision, Mr. President. And I appreciate it when you say the little prayer at the end of each of your speeches, "God bless the United States of America."
Happy Fourth of July to Mr. Obama and family. And let us all remember to pray for the President each day. Whether you voted for him or whether you agree with him on specific policies, he is our president and we need to pray for our leaders. In fact, if you do not agree with his policies, it might be all the more reason for you to pray that God might bless him with wisdom and discernment.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Farah and Michael Remind Us of Our Own Mortality
The deaths of famous people, especially ones that have been on the popular culture scene for a long time, can be shaking to us. I remember how friends of mine were devastated at the death of Elvis, and a few years later, of John Lennon. Certainly, such deaths remind us that death does come for all of us (unless the rapture occurs, as many Christians believe). But one way or the other we are all going to leave this earth sometime. Such passings remind us of our own mortality. And for those of us who are Christians, it makes us rejoice in the miracle of our salvation in Jesus Christ.
The deaths of Farah Fawcett and Michael Jackson on the same day brought back memories of earlier years for me. Fawcett, the Charlie's Angel with the golden hair and brilliant teeth, was the iconic girl next door of my college years. Yes, I had her famous poster on my dorm wall, smiling down on me as I did my homework. I will always remember Farah Fawcett's million dollar smile.
And Jackson, as sad a figure as he became in his later years, had a number of songs on the soundtrack of my life. As confused as he seemed to be in the last decade, he was just as brilliant in the seventies and eighties as a musician, singer, and dancer. He was electric onstage, and he ruled the world of pop music in his heyday. Sadly, the scandals involving the young boys ruined his legacy for many. his life went from triumph to tragedy. The promise of the five year old who became a pop star with his brothers was smothered in sadness, even when he won an acquittal in his infamous trial a few years ago.
But I will still remember some of his songs fondly. Even though we humans are broken, God's beauty can still shine through us. In Michael Jackson's case, one of his most beautiful songs was "We Are the World," which raised millions for hungry people in Africa. To hear "We are the World." featuring Jackson and other popular artists of the 1980's, go to YOU TUBE at WE ARE THE WORLD
The deaths of Farah Fawcett and Michael Jackson on the same day brought back memories of earlier years for me. Fawcett, the Charlie's Angel with the golden hair and brilliant teeth, was the iconic girl next door of my college years. Yes, I had her famous poster on my dorm wall, smiling down on me as I did my homework. I will always remember Farah Fawcett's million dollar smile.
And Jackson, as sad a figure as he became in his later years, had a number of songs on the soundtrack of my life. As confused as he seemed to be in the last decade, he was just as brilliant in the seventies and eighties as a musician, singer, and dancer. He was electric onstage, and he ruled the world of pop music in his heyday. Sadly, the scandals involving the young boys ruined his legacy for many. his life went from triumph to tragedy. The promise of the five year old who became a pop star with his brothers was smothered in sadness, even when he won an acquittal in his infamous trial a few years ago.
But I will still remember some of his songs fondly. Even though we humans are broken, God's beauty can still shine through us. In Michael Jackson's case, one of his most beautiful songs was "We Are the World," which raised millions for hungry people in Africa. To hear "We are the World." featuring Jackson and other popular artists of the 1980's, go to YOU TUBE at WE ARE THE WORLD
Sometimes Leaving is Not The Only Way to Go
Sometimes in our lives the old fight or flight reflex rises up and we feel the need to leave, to run away, to cut and run. Sometimes this happens in marriages. One spouse sees supposed "freedom" as better than staying and working to make things better at home. At certain times such a strategy may be warrantied, but most of the time such an action is hasty. Usually, with God's help and hard work from both partners, things can be worked out.
There is a song that captures the essence of that thought in music. I have been reviewing some old songs by the recording artist Roger Miller, and he had quite a few meaningful ones with potent lyrics. In his big Broadway musical, "Big River", based on the tales of Huck Finn, Miller wrote "Leavin's Not the Only Way to Go":
Do the mornin’s still come early
Are the nights not long enough
Does a tear of hesitation
Fall on everything you touch
Well, it might just be a lesson
For the hasty heart to know
Maybe leavin’s not the only way to go
Maybe lay and let your feelings grow accustomed to the dark
And by morning’s light, you might solve the problems of the heart
And it all might be a lesson for the hasty heart to know
Maybe leavin’s not the only way to go
People reach new understandings all the time
They take a second look, maybe change their minds
People reach new understandings everyday
Tell me not to reach and I’ll go away
Do the mornin’s still come early
Are the nights not long enough
Does a tear of hesitation
Fall on everything you touch
Well, it might just be a lesson
For the hasty heart to know
Maybe leavin’s not the only way to go
Hear Miller sing the song on YOU TUBE at ROGER MILLER SINGS "LEAVIN'S NOT THE ONLY WAY TO GO". It is worth a listen, because it is so very true -- sometimes leaving is not the only way to go
There is a song that captures the essence of that thought in music. I have been reviewing some old songs by the recording artist Roger Miller, and he had quite a few meaningful ones with potent lyrics. In his big Broadway musical, "Big River", based on the tales of Huck Finn, Miller wrote "Leavin's Not the Only Way to Go":
Do the mornin’s still come early
Are the nights not long enough
Does a tear of hesitation
Fall on everything you touch
Well, it might just be a lesson
For the hasty heart to know
Maybe leavin’s not the only way to go
Maybe lay and let your feelings grow accustomed to the dark
And by morning’s light, you might solve the problems of the heart
And it all might be a lesson for the hasty heart to know
Maybe leavin’s not the only way to go
People reach new understandings all the time
They take a second look, maybe change their minds
People reach new understandings everyday
Tell me not to reach and I’ll go away
Do the mornin’s still come early
Are the nights not long enough
Does a tear of hesitation
Fall on everything you touch
Well, it might just be a lesson
For the hasty heart to know
Maybe leavin’s not the only way to go
Hear Miller sing the song on YOU TUBE at ROGER MILLER SINGS "LEAVIN'S NOT THE ONLY WAY TO GO". It is worth a listen, because it is so very true -- sometimes leaving is not the only way to go
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Broken Homes and Broken Lives -- The Tragedy of Divorce and the Need to Pray for Our Married Couples
Over forty years ago the supremely talented country musician Roger Miller had a powerfully sad but true song about divorce. Regretfully, it is just as starkly truthful now as it was when Lyndon Baines Johnson was President of the United States.
The lyrics of "Husbands and Wives" are:
Two broken hearts lonely looking like
houses where nobody lives.
Two people each having so much pride
inside
Neither side forgives.
The angry words spoken in haste,
Such a waste of two lives,
It's my belief,
Pride is the chief cause in the decline
in the number of husbands and wives.
A woman and a man, a man and a woman;
Some can and some can't
And some can't.
You can hear the late great Miller sing his universal and timeless lament on YOU TUBE at ROGER MILLER SINGS "Husbands and Wives"
Sadly, in certain situations, sometimes divorce is necessary. But everything should be done to save a marriage when there is the slightest possibility it can be saved, especially where there are children involved.
With preventive medicine, like prayer, scripture reading, church going, communicating and counseling, most marriages can stay healthy. But it takes work. You must inoculate yourselves and help guard each other tenderly from the stresses and evils of this world, many of which seek to destroy God's great gift of marriage.
Even when a marriage has gone off the road into the ditch, it can still be saved. But both partners must come back to their marriage vows and seek God's help together. Pastors can help a couple find God's help, but the couple must agree to seek God and to seek to find their first love for each other again.
Woe to the man or woman who who tempts or seduces a married woman or man, who comes between a husband and wife, who helps break a marriage covenant ordained by God Almighty. A special place in hell is reserved for the man or woman who breaks up one of God's marriages and injures one of God's families.
Pray for all the couples you know. There is a great attack on marriage in the United States of America. We must defend our married couples with our love, our support and our prayers.
The lyrics of "Husbands and Wives" are:
Two broken hearts lonely looking like
houses where nobody lives.
Two people each having so much pride
inside
Neither side forgives.
The angry words spoken in haste,
Such a waste of two lives,
It's my belief,
Pride is the chief cause in the decline
in the number of husbands and wives.
A woman and a man, a man and a woman;
Some can and some can't
And some can't.
You can hear the late great Miller sing his universal and timeless lament on YOU TUBE at ROGER MILLER SINGS "Husbands and Wives"
Sadly, in certain situations, sometimes divorce is necessary. But everything should be done to save a marriage when there is the slightest possibility it can be saved, especially where there are children involved.
With preventive medicine, like prayer, scripture reading, church going, communicating and counseling, most marriages can stay healthy. But it takes work. You must inoculate yourselves and help guard each other tenderly from the stresses and evils of this world, many of which seek to destroy God's great gift of marriage.
Even when a marriage has gone off the road into the ditch, it can still be saved. But both partners must come back to their marriage vows and seek God's help together. Pastors can help a couple find God's help, but the couple must agree to seek God and to seek to find their first love for each other again.
Woe to the man or woman who who tempts or seduces a married woman or man, who comes between a husband and wife, who helps break a marriage covenant ordained by God Almighty. A special place in hell is reserved for the man or woman who breaks up one of God's marriages and injures one of God's families.
Pray for all the couples you know. There is a great attack on marriage in the United States of America. We must defend our married couples with our love, our support and our prayers.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Be a Church Stayer, a Church Builder, Be a Faithful Member
Backsliding and church hopping are the difficult realities of our American culture. Unfortunately, some people move from church to church and back to another church with regular irregularity. Others start hot and grow cold quickly, then repeat the process again and again. The call of God is for commitment and faithfulness. The call is to bloom where you are planted, to help build up the church where you have been called, not tear it down by leaving for no good reason. And leaving to be "enterntained" is not a good reason.
The question should be "how can God use me and where can God best use me to carry out His mission in the world," not "where can I be best entertained" or where can I get that seemingly spiritual "buzz." We are called to worship God, not chase "signs" or feelings. Jesus calls us to be faithful, not to be entertained.
Instead of helping to build up a church body to serve God and do God's work, some folks are often shopping for what will serve themselves, and make them feel a certain way for at least a certain time. Worshipping God takes a back seat to satisfying oneself. That is not the proper order!
Church hopping is an example of the overall instability of our culture. It reflects a deeply troubling trend of how easily people slide in and out of commitments. “Commitment” is a revisable term at best and an increasingly negative concept to many. Reflecting the prevailing discontentment in our culture, people are endlessly looking for something "better."
But better, often means more exciting, entertaining; more satisfying to self. In an article entitled “Confessions of a (Recovering) Church-hopper”, John Fischer acknowledged that, “In our free-market, commodity-rich society, it’s understandable that we would approach church as we would a shopping mall of spiritual products and services. This is the way our culture operates. In our hymnals we can still find those great hymns of the church like ‘A Mighty Fortress’ and ‘The Church’s One Foundation,’ but in our worship and practice we are probably more consistent with the Motown hit ‘You Better Shop Around.’”
Fischer describes the following scene from a church-hopping family: “‘Where shall we go this morning, dear?’ he says. ‘The music is great at Calvary but I like the teaching at Grace.’ ‘Don’t forget the kids,’ she says. ‘The youth program at Bethany is the best of all.’ ‘I've got it. We’ll drop the kids off at Bethany and go to Grace for teaching, and then we can start going to the Saturday night worship and praise services at Calvary.’”
What’s wrong with this picture? Fischer suggests some important points:
First,we become critical consumers instead of faithful worshippers. “As consumers we reserve the right to pass judgment on the products and services we use, and the companies that service us begin to cater to our demands. ‘The customer is always right’ may work well at McDonald’s, but in a church it undermines the authority of the Word of God and the leaders God has called to represent Him. We should not go to a particular church to decide whether that church is doing everything right, but to hear from God and humbly find out where we went wrong that week in our own lives and what we need to do to make it right.”
Fischer says we become detached from what we are and who we should be when we are "consumers" instead of worshippers, when we are not doing our part to build up a church body. “When you were a child, did you ever make a church with your hands folded together, forefingers pointed up like a steeple and all your fingers interlocked inside? Remember opening your hands to see all the people? Well, that’s exactly it. We are the church. You and I are the fingers and toes and eyes and ears of the body of Christ. To be only a spectator and a consumer in church is to detach yourself from who you are — like cutting off your fingers.”
Church-hoppers also hurt the churches they hop to and then leave, because usually the new church is willing to invest time and responsibility in the church hopper, only to be left at the proverbial altar when the church "frog" hops away. Church hoppers need to remember the old advice, “If you find a perfect church, don’t join it, because once you are there it will not be perfect anymore.”
People, God is not looking for church hoppers. He is looking for church stayers, who will be faithful where God plants them, and help Him bring forth fruit in the area where He has raised up the church they have been called to be a part of in that particular body. Be a faithful member of your church.
If you feel the urge to hop, pray intently. Unless God gives you a very clear signal to hop, please stop.
The question should be "how can God use me and where can God best use me to carry out His mission in the world," not "where can I be best entertained" or where can I get that seemingly spiritual "buzz." We are called to worship God, not chase "signs" or feelings. Jesus calls us to be faithful, not to be entertained.
Instead of helping to build up a church body to serve God and do God's work, some folks are often shopping for what will serve themselves, and make them feel a certain way for at least a certain time. Worshipping God takes a back seat to satisfying oneself. That is not the proper order!
Church hopping is an example of the overall instability of our culture. It reflects a deeply troubling trend of how easily people slide in and out of commitments. “Commitment” is a revisable term at best and an increasingly negative concept to many. Reflecting the prevailing discontentment in our culture, people are endlessly looking for something "better."
But better, often means more exciting, entertaining; more satisfying to self. In an article entitled “Confessions of a (Recovering) Church-hopper”, John Fischer acknowledged that, “In our free-market, commodity-rich society, it’s understandable that we would approach church as we would a shopping mall of spiritual products and services. This is the way our culture operates. In our hymnals we can still find those great hymns of the church like ‘A Mighty Fortress’ and ‘The Church’s One Foundation,’ but in our worship and practice we are probably more consistent with the Motown hit ‘You Better Shop Around.’”
Fischer describes the following scene from a church-hopping family: “‘Where shall we go this morning, dear?’ he says. ‘The music is great at Calvary but I like the teaching at Grace.’ ‘Don’t forget the kids,’ she says. ‘The youth program at Bethany is the best of all.’ ‘I've got it. We’ll drop the kids off at Bethany and go to Grace for teaching, and then we can start going to the Saturday night worship and praise services at Calvary.’”
What’s wrong with this picture? Fischer suggests some important points:
First,we become critical consumers instead of faithful worshippers. “As consumers we reserve the right to pass judgment on the products and services we use, and the companies that service us begin to cater to our demands. ‘The customer is always right’ may work well at McDonald’s, but in a church it undermines the authority of the Word of God and the leaders God has called to represent Him. We should not go to a particular church to decide whether that church is doing everything right, but to hear from God and humbly find out where we went wrong that week in our own lives and what we need to do to make it right.”
Fischer says we become detached from what we are and who we should be when we are "consumers" instead of worshippers, when we are not doing our part to build up a church body. “When you were a child, did you ever make a church with your hands folded together, forefingers pointed up like a steeple and all your fingers interlocked inside? Remember opening your hands to see all the people? Well, that’s exactly it. We are the church. You and I are the fingers and toes and eyes and ears of the body of Christ. To be only a spectator and a consumer in church is to detach yourself from who you are — like cutting off your fingers.”
Church-hoppers also hurt the churches they hop to and then leave, because usually the new church is willing to invest time and responsibility in the church hopper, only to be left at the proverbial altar when the church "frog" hops away. Church hoppers need to remember the old advice, “If you find a perfect church, don’t join it, because once you are there it will not be perfect anymore.”
People, God is not looking for church hoppers. He is looking for church stayers, who will be faithful where God plants them, and help Him bring forth fruit in the area where He has raised up the church they have been called to be a part of in that particular body. Be a faithful member of your church.
If you feel the urge to hop, pray intently. Unless God gives you a very clear signal to hop, please stop.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Keep a Positive Attitude -- Think on the Good Things
"Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it (the heart) are found the issues of life. For as a man thinketh in his heart so is he." Proverbs 4:23, Proverbs 23:7
If we are to be a faithful Christian, we must develop a positive attitude. That attitude of positive expectancy in God, and that attitude of grateful gratitude for the blessings of live will help you to succeed, to heal, and to grow stronger. A positive attitude can be a great gift. But the devil wants you to be negative. he will bombard you with negative thoughts. DO NOT ACCEPT THEM!
What is a positive attitude? A positive attitude is more than optimism, and more than looking past the bad to see the good in life. A positive attitude acknowledges and accepts the pain of the "bad", then moves on to embrace the "good" hope of tomorrow. A positive attitude in life sows the seeds of spiritual balance and inner peace, even in the midst of life's struggles.
Keeping a positive attitude in life entails much more than simply being an optimist. Don't get me wrong, being optimistic is a valuable tool in building, and maintaining, a positive attitude about life. After all, an optimist seeks the good in life, seeing "the cup as half-full" rather than seeing "the cup as half-empty". It's good to see the world through a positive perspective, rather than a negative one. And you sure can't find a positive perspective about life if all that you focus on are the things that are wrong in this world. Yes, being an optimist is definitely a valuable tool in keeping a positive attitude in life.
But having a positive attitude, and overcoming negativity, takes more than the ability to seek and focus on the good in life. A positive attitude seeks the good, but has also learned how to be okay with the bad. A pessimist might say "Life stinks!". An optimist might say "this, too, shall pass, and things will get better". A person living a positive attitude will say "Life stinks right now, it hurts, but I'm okay until things get better". There is a subtle, but important, difference between the pessimist, the optimist and the person living a positive attitude.
A pessimist will say "My glass is half-empty". An optimist will say "My glass is half-full". A person with a positive attitude will say "My glass is half-empty right now, but I'm okay with that". The pessimist is stuck in the negativity of the glass half-empty, unable to see past what he doesn't have.
The optimist seeks the good in the situation, but fails to embrace the "now" moment by acknowledging the absence of what is gone. The person with the balanced, positive attitude remembers the pleasure of emptying that half-glass, enjoys the "now" moment of the glass still being half-full, and looks forward to the moment when the glass is full again. Past (emptying the glass), present (the glass is half-full) and future (the glass will fill again), blend in perfect balance to create the positive attitude that enable you to endure any struggle you have to face in life.The Bible encourages us to think positive thoughts: "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there by any virtue, and if there be an praise, think on these things" Philippians 4:8
If we are to be a faithful Christian, we must develop a positive attitude. That attitude of positive expectancy in God, and that attitude of grateful gratitude for the blessings of live will help you to succeed, to heal, and to grow stronger. A positive attitude can be a great gift. But the devil wants you to be negative. he will bombard you with negative thoughts. DO NOT ACCEPT THEM!
What is a positive attitude? A positive attitude is more than optimism, and more than looking past the bad to see the good in life. A positive attitude acknowledges and accepts the pain of the "bad", then moves on to embrace the "good" hope of tomorrow. A positive attitude in life sows the seeds of spiritual balance and inner peace, even in the midst of life's struggles.
Keeping a positive attitude in life entails much more than simply being an optimist. Don't get me wrong, being optimistic is a valuable tool in building, and maintaining, a positive attitude about life. After all, an optimist seeks the good in life, seeing "the cup as half-full" rather than seeing "the cup as half-empty". It's good to see the world through a positive perspective, rather than a negative one. And you sure can't find a positive perspective about life if all that you focus on are the things that are wrong in this world. Yes, being an optimist is definitely a valuable tool in keeping a positive attitude in life.
But having a positive attitude, and overcoming negativity, takes more than the ability to seek and focus on the good in life. A positive attitude seeks the good, but has also learned how to be okay with the bad. A pessimist might say "Life stinks!". An optimist might say "this, too, shall pass, and things will get better". A person living a positive attitude will say "Life stinks right now, it hurts, but I'm okay until things get better". There is a subtle, but important, difference between the pessimist, the optimist and the person living a positive attitude.
A pessimist will say "My glass is half-empty". An optimist will say "My glass is half-full". A person with a positive attitude will say "My glass is half-empty right now, but I'm okay with that". The pessimist is stuck in the negativity of the glass half-empty, unable to see past what he doesn't have.
The optimist seeks the good in the situation, but fails to embrace the "now" moment by acknowledging the absence of what is gone. The person with the balanced, positive attitude remembers the pleasure of emptying that half-glass, enjoys the "now" moment of the glass still being half-full, and looks forward to the moment when the glass is full again. Past (emptying the glass), present (the glass is half-full) and future (the glass will fill again), blend in perfect balance to create the positive attitude that enable you to endure any struggle you have to face in life.The Bible encourages us to think positive thoughts: "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there by any virtue, and if there be an praise, think on these things" Philippians 4:8
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Keep Praying -- And Develop Patience in Waiting for God's Perfect Timing
I believe all healing comes from God. Jesus is the healer who heals in many ways -- through straight out miracles, through the miracles of doctors and medicines. but all ways of healing can be aided and fostered by prayer. I urge you to keep praying and seeking God, and to also pray for the Holy Spirit's help in developing patience in waiting for God's perfect timing.
God is a compassionate and merciful God who does heal. But sometimes healing does not come right away. Sometimes God uses our disability for His glory, allowing our infirmities to teach us and to teach others. The great singer and artist Joni Erickson Tada is a glowing example of God using a person in the midst and through their disability. Though a quadriplegic, she has a wonderful ministry that has inspired millions of people around the world.
Sometimes God allows us to have infirmities that will cause us to look to Him for His strength and power. In 2 Corinthians 12:7, Paul says, "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness.'"
Infirmities can teach us valuable lessons about our faith. Psalm 119:71 says, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees." And in Romans 5:3, "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us - they help us learn to endure" (NLT).
When Jesus healed people in the gospels, He often told them not to tell anyone about being healed. He did not want others to focus on His miracles, but instead to focus on the glory of God. When Jesus heard that his friend Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days, saying, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it" (John 11:4).
When Jesus arrived, Lazarus was dead, so instead of healing him, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead! We may miss the whole message of Jesus if we are focused only on being healed from our disease and not on the Savior who heals.
Another thing to remember is that the when and where and how of healing is our sovereign God's ultimate choice. We know that God is compassionate and merciful. We also know that He has full authority over all sickness and can choose to heal whomever He chooses, whenever He chooses. We don't always know all of the answers as to why - just that His ways are higher than ours.
Ultimately, our full physical healing awaits us in Heaven. We will all be fully healed, forever, with glorified bodies replacing our decayed and damaged ones. Revelation 21:4 says, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
God is a compassionate and merciful God who does heal. But sometimes healing does not come right away. Sometimes God uses our disability for His glory, allowing our infirmities to teach us and to teach others. The great singer and artist Joni Erickson Tada is a glowing example of God using a person in the midst and through their disability. Though a quadriplegic, she has a wonderful ministry that has inspired millions of people around the world.
Sometimes God allows us to have infirmities that will cause us to look to Him for His strength and power. In 2 Corinthians 12:7, Paul says, "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness.'"
Infirmities can teach us valuable lessons about our faith. Psalm 119:71 says, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees." And in Romans 5:3, "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us - they help us learn to endure" (NLT).
When Jesus healed people in the gospels, He often told them not to tell anyone about being healed. He did not want others to focus on His miracles, but instead to focus on the glory of God. When Jesus heard that his friend Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days, saying, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it" (John 11:4).
When Jesus arrived, Lazarus was dead, so instead of healing him, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead! We may miss the whole message of Jesus if we are focused only on being healed from our disease and not on the Savior who heals.
Another thing to remember is that the when and where and how of healing is our sovereign God's ultimate choice. We know that God is compassionate and merciful. We also know that He has full authority over all sickness and can choose to heal whomever He chooses, whenever He chooses. We don't always know all of the answers as to why - just that His ways are higher than ours.
Ultimately, our full physical healing awaits us in Heaven. We will all be fully healed, forever, with glorified bodies replacing our decayed and damaged ones. Revelation 21:4 says, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
Saturday, June 13, 2009
You Are More Than A Conqueror!
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS through him that loved us." Romans 8:35-37
Romans Chapter 8 is quite a chapter. Read it anew today and you will see that it is a magnificent chapter. Let its eloquence strengthen your soul.
Leonard Ravenhill wrote that the 8th chapter is a one about the liberated soul, of our emancipation, of our triumph in Christ. The 8th chapter is a chapter about the Christ-centered person. He notes that "In the 7th chapter (of Romans) you read that first person over and over and over until you get weary of reading 'I, I, I, I,...' 'I want to do this but I can't...,' and 'I find I'm in bondage...,' and so forth and so on. If you count you'll discover 41 times you find that 'I,' and no mention of the Holy Spirit. In the 8th chapter there is no mention of the "I" except in two verses where he says "I reckon" and "I am persuaded" (where there is no alternative). But the difference in the 8th chapter is that there is all the mention in the world about the Holy Spirit. Nineteen times the Holy Spirit is mentioned."
And the 8th chapter proclaims us as "more than conquerors!" Never forget this: we are more than conquerors. Most believers misread this to say, “We defeat any opposition we face.” Doing this severely diminishes Paul’s statement, however. We may not win every battle, but we do win in the end -- and God can bend all things for our good, even our temporary losses and defeats. So we are more than conquerors through His power!
NO MATTER WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH, TELL YOURSELF THE TRUTH -- YOU ARE MORE THAN A CONQUEROR! JESUS HAS MADE YOU MORE THAN A CONQUEROR!
Christ’s love defeats our enemies, restores peace, and extends our reach. While we make it our duty to prosper in faith, Christ engages our adversaries and triumphs on our behalf.
“Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ,” 1 Corinthians 15.57 says in the spirit of one who is more than a conqueror. In Exodus 14.14, while the ground trembles with the roar of Pharaoh’s cavalry and chariots, Moses assures Israel, “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” As more than conquerors, neither fighting nor winning is ours to worry about. Through Christ, God’s love carries the day. He gives us victory.
Jesus' love guarantees He and we will remain inseparable always. “For I am convinced,” he writes in Romans 8.38-39, “that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This is the "great crescendo" of the Christian faith!
Jesus told His disciples, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 14.13) Calvary is the believer’s Gettysburg—the blood-soaked battleground where God’s unconquerable love turned history’s tide to reunite Him with us for all time.
In Christ, love ultimately triumphs. To paraphrase Paul, no wall can be raised so high, no trench dug so deep to separate us from God’s love. He chose us. He called us. He justified us. He qualified us. He wins us the victory for us. We are more than conquerors.
Christ conquers all with love and we are more than conquerors, who express our gratitude and praise for the victory He gives.
Romans Chapter 8 is quite a chapter. Read it anew today and you will see that it is a magnificent chapter. Let its eloquence strengthen your soul.
Leonard Ravenhill wrote that the 8th chapter is a one about the liberated soul, of our emancipation, of our triumph in Christ. The 8th chapter is a chapter about the Christ-centered person. He notes that "In the 7th chapter (of Romans) you read that first person over and over and over until you get weary of reading 'I, I, I, I,...' 'I want to do this but I can't...,' and 'I find I'm in bondage...,' and so forth and so on. If you count you'll discover 41 times you find that 'I,' and no mention of the Holy Spirit. In the 8th chapter there is no mention of the "I" except in two verses where he says "I reckon" and "I am persuaded" (where there is no alternative). But the difference in the 8th chapter is that there is all the mention in the world about the Holy Spirit. Nineteen times the Holy Spirit is mentioned."
And the 8th chapter proclaims us as "more than conquerors!" Never forget this: we are more than conquerors. Most believers misread this to say, “We defeat any opposition we face.” Doing this severely diminishes Paul’s statement, however. We may not win every battle, but we do win in the end -- and God can bend all things for our good, even our temporary losses and defeats. So we are more than conquerors through His power!
NO MATTER WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH, TELL YOURSELF THE TRUTH -- YOU ARE MORE THAN A CONQUEROR! JESUS HAS MADE YOU MORE THAN A CONQUEROR!
Christ’s love defeats our enemies, restores peace, and extends our reach. While we make it our duty to prosper in faith, Christ engages our adversaries and triumphs on our behalf.
“Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ,” 1 Corinthians 15.57 says in the spirit of one who is more than a conqueror. In Exodus 14.14, while the ground trembles with the roar of Pharaoh’s cavalry and chariots, Moses assures Israel, “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” As more than conquerors, neither fighting nor winning is ours to worry about. Through Christ, God’s love carries the day. He gives us victory.
Jesus' love guarantees He and we will remain inseparable always. “For I am convinced,” he writes in Romans 8.38-39, “that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This is the "great crescendo" of the Christian faith!
Jesus told His disciples, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 14.13) Calvary is the believer’s Gettysburg—the blood-soaked battleground where God’s unconquerable love turned history’s tide to reunite Him with us for all time.
In Christ, love ultimately triumphs. To paraphrase Paul, no wall can be raised so high, no trench dug so deep to separate us from God’s love. He chose us. He called us. He justified us. He qualified us. He wins us the victory for us. We are more than conquerors.
Christ conquers all with love and we are more than conquerors, who express our gratitude and praise for the victory He gives.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
It is True -- The Family that Prays Together, Stays Together
In the last three weeks I have learned of five couples with problems in their marriages, not just in our churches, but in our communities..
This is a situation in need of much prayer. We must bathe the couples we know in love and prayer.
After much meditation and study, I believe many problems in marriage can be avoided with preventive medicine -- prayer, Bible reading, church going, Sunday school going, Bible study, and a return to the first love affair of the couple. Let Jesus be your other marriage partner (let no one else in your marriage but Him!) and protect your covenant relationship like a mama bear defends her cub. Your marriage is worth fighting for -- do not let it die.
There is an old saying that is as true now as it ever was -- THE FAMILY THAT PRAYS TOGETHER STAYS TOGETHER. To that I add THE COUPLE THAT INTENTIONALLY TALKS TO EACH OTHER LEARNS TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER. Spiritual commitment and communication are keys to healthy marriages. Couples need to keep their vows and work to preserve and protect the holy thing God gives us in marriage.
Marriages are under attack today. The devil is on the move in these last days, running amok wherever he can. He often attacks through the thought life. As Rev. Kenneth Hagin used to say, "Birds may fly over your head, but do not let them make a nest in your hair!" So it is with bad thoughts. And remember another saying, "The grass is not always greener on the other side." Instead of looking for a new patch of ground that might very well be quicksand or desert, spouses need to work hard to keep their God given gardens watered (with the Word) and nurtured (with prayer and care), and free from weeds.
Where children are involved, their good health: emotionally, socially, spiritually and physically, should be of the utmost concern of both parents. Do not be selfish -- think of your children first. God gave them to you to take care of -- at all costs.
A general societal disregard for the gift of marriage in our culture makes it harder for couples to see that marriage is a covenant with God, a holy partnership with the Divine One. Let God have a say in your marriage, too, and you will see results.
Recently I did a five week series on Couplehood, using materials from the movie "FIREPROOF," one of the great healing tools the Lord has given us in this time. EVERY COUPLE SHOULD SEE FIREPROOF, at least once a year.. THE COMPANION BOOK "LOVE DARE" is a miracle in itself and should be used by every couple, if you are having problems or not, for it is a great preventative medicine.
I encourage you to please spread the word -- rent FIREPROOF at Movie Gallery or Red Box or Net Flix or wherever and watch it together. if you have already seen it, watch it again. Protect your marriage. Be proactive about love and compassion and caring for your priceless gift of family
This is a situation in need of much prayer. We must bathe the couples we know in love and prayer.
After much meditation and study, I believe many problems in marriage can be avoided with preventive medicine -- prayer, Bible reading, church going, Sunday school going, Bible study, and a return to the first love affair of the couple. Let Jesus be your other marriage partner (let no one else in your marriage but Him!) and protect your covenant relationship like a mama bear defends her cub. Your marriage is worth fighting for -- do not let it die.
There is an old saying that is as true now as it ever was -- THE FAMILY THAT PRAYS TOGETHER STAYS TOGETHER. To that I add THE COUPLE THAT INTENTIONALLY TALKS TO EACH OTHER LEARNS TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER. Spiritual commitment and communication are keys to healthy marriages. Couples need to keep their vows and work to preserve and protect the holy thing God gives us in marriage.
Marriages are under attack today. The devil is on the move in these last days, running amok wherever he can. He often attacks through the thought life. As Rev. Kenneth Hagin used to say, "Birds may fly over your head, but do not let them make a nest in your hair!" So it is with bad thoughts. And remember another saying, "The grass is not always greener on the other side." Instead of looking for a new patch of ground that might very well be quicksand or desert, spouses need to work hard to keep their God given gardens watered (with the Word) and nurtured (with prayer and care), and free from weeds.
Where children are involved, their good health: emotionally, socially, spiritually and physically, should be of the utmost concern of both parents. Do not be selfish -- think of your children first. God gave them to you to take care of -- at all costs.
A general societal disregard for the gift of marriage in our culture makes it harder for couples to see that marriage is a covenant with God, a holy partnership with the Divine One. Let God have a say in your marriage, too, and you will see results.
Recently I did a five week series on Couplehood, using materials from the movie "FIREPROOF," one of the great healing tools the Lord has given us in this time. EVERY COUPLE SHOULD SEE FIREPROOF, at least once a year.. THE COMPANION BOOK "LOVE DARE" is a miracle in itself and should be used by every couple, if you are having problems or not, for it is a great preventative medicine.
I encourage you to please spread the word -- rent FIREPROOF at Movie Gallery or Red Box or Net Flix or wherever and watch it together. if you have already seen it, watch it again. Protect your marriage. Be proactive about love and compassion and caring for your priceless gift of family
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
All Dogs Go to Heaven -- Or At Least Some of Them, I Hope!
A fellow asked me the other day whether I thought dogs went to heaven. His wife thought they did. He was sure they did not. "They ain't got no souls," he stated emphatically. The Bible says they just die."
Actually, the Bible is silent on dogs in heaven. The Bible is a story about human relationship to God, and that is what it is about. But could God grant dogs entrance into heaven? If you believe God is all-powerful, which I do, then surely He can.
However, the Bible is seems to indicate that there will be some animals in the new heaven and new earth. It may be just symbolic of God's great peace, but what a great way for God to show us that peace -- by having former natural enemies in the animal kingdom acting in peace towards each other!
Isaiah 65:25 states that "The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain," says the LORD."
I have no doubt that it is entirely possible that our loving heavenly Father can resurrect our pets and make them part of our happiness in heaven. However, the Bible does not give any references to this, as the Bible was written for the salvation of mankind. (After all, something written for animals wouldn't do a lot of good when the animals can't read!!)
Sin came on this earth through man, not through animals. The animals are but innocent by-standers. Rom 5:12: Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.
So I hope to see my old dog in heaven. (And i hope that there may be cats, too, for those feline lovers out there!) I hope God in His infinite goodness might grant that great comfort to those of us who have adopted animals as members of our earthly families.
Actually, the Bible is silent on dogs in heaven. The Bible is a story about human relationship to God, and that is what it is about. But could God grant dogs entrance into heaven? If you believe God is all-powerful, which I do, then surely He can.
However, the Bible is seems to indicate that there will be some animals in the new heaven and new earth. It may be just symbolic of God's great peace, but what a great way for God to show us that peace -- by having former natural enemies in the animal kingdom acting in peace towards each other!
Isaiah 65:25 states that "The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain," says the LORD."
I have no doubt that it is entirely possible that our loving heavenly Father can resurrect our pets and make them part of our happiness in heaven. However, the Bible does not give any references to this, as the Bible was written for the salvation of mankind. (After all, something written for animals wouldn't do a lot of good when the animals can't read!!)
Sin came on this earth through man, not through animals. The animals are but innocent by-standers. Rom 5:12: Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.
So I hope to see my old dog in heaven. (And i hope that there may be cats, too, for those feline lovers out there!) I hope God in His infinite goodness might grant that great comfort to those of us who have adopted animals as members of our earthly families.
Monday, June 08, 2009
Laying on Hands in Prayer
The Directory for Worship of the Presbyterian Church USA reminds us that “Healing was an integral part of the ministry of Jesus which the church has been called to continue as one dimension of its concern for the wholeness of people." Through services for wholeness, the church enacts in worship its ministry as a healing community.
Services for healing and wholeness, which we do in our churches, are profound events of faith and prayer. They vital element of worship in the service for wholeness is prayer since this is essentially a time of waiting in faith upon God. Thanksgiving for God’s promise of wholeness, intercessions and supplications should be offered. Adequate time for silent prayer should be provided, as well as occasions for prayers spoken and sung.
Enacted prayer in the form of the laying on of hands and anointing with oil is appropriate. (James. 5:14.) The enactment of prayers involves the presiding minister of Word and Sacrament together with representatives of the believing community.
These prayers are a response to the Word read and proclaimed. Particular focus should be on announcing the gospel’s promise of wholeness through Christ. The sealing of this promise in the Lord’s Supper may be celebrated, and should follow the prayers and the laying on of hands. Occasion for offering one’s life and gifts for ministry may be provided, as well as opportunities for reconciliation and renewed commitment to the service of Jesus Christ in the world.
Healing is to be understood not as the result of the holiness, earnestness, or skill of those enacting the prayers, or of the faith of the ones seeking healing, but as the gift of God through the power of the Holy Spirit”
Laying on of hands can be a powerful tool of prayer. Thank our Lord for it.
Services for healing and wholeness, which we do in our churches, are profound events of faith and prayer. They vital element of worship in the service for wholeness is prayer since this is essentially a time of waiting in faith upon God. Thanksgiving for God’s promise of wholeness, intercessions and supplications should be offered. Adequate time for silent prayer should be provided, as well as occasions for prayers spoken and sung.
Enacted prayer in the form of the laying on of hands and anointing with oil is appropriate. (James. 5:14.) The enactment of prayers involves the presiding minister of Word and Sacrament together with representatives of the believing community.
These prayers are a response to the Word read and proclaimed. Particular focus should be on announcing the gospel’s promise of wholeness through Christ. The sealing of this promise in the Lord’s Supper may be celebrated, and should follow the prayers and the laying on of hands. Occasion for offering one’s life and gifts for ministry may be provided, as well as opportunities for reconciliation and renewed commitment to the service of Jesus Christ in the world.
Healing is to be understood not as the result of the holiness, earnestness, or skill of those enacting the prayers, or of the faith of the ones seeking healing, but as the gift of God through the power of the Holy Spirit”
Laying on of hands can be a powerful tool of prayer. Thank our Lord for it.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Let Your Greater Hope See You Through -- Keeping the Faith in Difficult Times
Studs Terkel was a fine writer who wrote often inspiring books about the strengths of common people. Recently I picked up one of Studs Terkel’s last books at a thrift store for a dollar. It was published in 2003, and I love its title, Hope Dies Last. It has the subtitle, Keeping the Faith in Difficult Times.
The title comes from a comment by a farm worker (Studs seldom quoted “big names” but usually “the little guy”); in this case, it is a farm worker laboring stooped over in the fields before the time that Cesar Chavez organized the United Farm Workers. She said, “We have a saying, ‘La esperanza muere ultima.’ Hope dies last. You can’t lose hope. If you lose hope, you lose everything.”
The Bible is book of hope. Reading it can give you renewed hope. In the book of Isaiah we find a passage about hope in chapter 40, verses 28-31. The Word proclaims – “He gives power to the faint and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” – that last section breaks through as words of hope to those who have seemingly lost hope.
I suggest that these are words of hope to any of us who experience loss of any significant kind – the death of someone dear to us, to be sure, but also our own health, a job, a significant relationship, a marriage, self-confidence, a sense that life, essentially, is good. Sometimes we lose all that we depend on, and we are ready to lose hope. And the words of the prophet ring out, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.” There is a history beyond human history upon which you can lean. Ah, the old hymn, “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms of God.”
These words of hope that are found in the 40th Chapter of Isaiah can be a refeshing drink for us in times of need. This is the chapter which begins, “Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God.”. Originally, these are words directed to the faithful Israelites living in exile in Babylon. But they have a resonance and power for all of us who are grandfathered into Abraham;s blessing by Jesus Christ, and they still have power for us today.
Isaiah preaches to us, "Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
Jesus Christ brings that power which renews us, gives us new life, “born again,” we say. But Christ brings rebirth in other ways than conversion, or the knowledge of who we are in Christ, as important a first step that certainly is for us.
Sometimes being “born again” is not an ecstatic spiritual experience but the slow thawing of a frozen soul, chilled to the bone by death, by loss, by regret, by difficult bosses and even harder jobs, by layoffs and firings and the perils of unemployment.
Wait on the Lord. He will renew your strenth. He will take us to a new "normal." In him we see the hope which sees us through and returns us to a solid place. In Him, we can find the strength to never give up, to keep on going, to be reborn in the midst of difficulty. In Him, we find the fortitude to let our greater hope defeat the tough times of life.
The title comes from a comment by a farm worker (Studs seldom quoted “big names” but usually “the little guy”); in this case, it is a farm worker laboring stooped over in the fields before the time that Cesar Chavez organized the United Farm Workers. She said, “We have a saying, ‘La esperanza muere ultima.’ Hope dies last. You can’t lose hope. If you lose hope, you lose everything.”
The Bible is book of hope. Reading it can give you renewed hope. In the book of Isaiah we find a passage about hope in chapter 40, verses 28-31. The Word proclaims – “He gives power to the faint and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” – that last section breaks through as words of hope to those who have seemingly lost hope.
I suggest that these are words of hope to any of us who experience loss of any significant kind – the death of someone dear to us, to be sure, but also our own health, a job, a significant relationship, a marriage, self-confidence, a sense that life, essentially, is good. Sometimes we lose all that we depend on, and we are ready to lose hope. And the words of the prophet ring out, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.” There is a history beyond human history upon which you can lean. Ah, the old hymn, “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms of God.”
These words of hope that are found in the 40th Chapter of Isaiah can be a refeshing drink for us in times of need. This is the chapter which begins, “Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God.”. Originally, these are words directed to the faithful Israelites living in exile in Babylon. But they have a resonance and power for all of us who are grandfathered into Abraham;s blessing by Jesus Christ, and they still have power for us today.
Isaiah preaches to us, "Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
Jesus Christ brings that power which renews us, gives us new life, “born again,” we say. But Christ brings rebirth in other ways than conversion, or the knowledge of who we are in Christ, as important a first step that certainly is for us.
Sometimes being “born again” is not an ecstatic spiritual experience but the slow thawing of a frozen soul, chilled to the bone by death, by loss, by regret, by difficult bosses and even harder jobs, by layoffs and firings and the perils of unemployment.
Wait on the Lord. He will renew your strenth. He will take us to a new "normal." In him we see the hope which sees us through and returns us to a solid place. In Him, we can find the strength to never give up, to keep on going, to be reborn in the midst of difficulty. In Him, we find the fortitude to let our greater hope defeat the tough times of life.
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