From a friend's email came this great list of proverbs for anundant living. I am not sure of the author, but they are based on Christian values.
In life we are to encourage and build up each other;
not to discourage and tear down one another.
In life we are to add, not subtract;
to multiply, not divide.
In life we are to leave an enduring impression;
not a careless dent.
In life we are to smooth out the rough roads along the journey;
not create new potholes.
In life we are to sing a joyful song;
not just drone a groan.
In life we are to add our harmonious strains to life's symphony;
not strain the symphony with clatter and clang.
In life we are to soar on eagles' wings.
not to peck and cluck with our beaks in the dirt like chickens.
In life we are to radiate light into unseen places;
not permit unknown fears to dim our radiance.
In life we are to leap in faith;
not to limp with doubt.
In life we are to give freely of our time, our love, our resources;
not to cling on to them greedily.
In life we are to lift up others;
not push them down.
In life we are to open our hands to those in need;
not to clutch our hands in fists of distrust.
In life we are to lend a helping hand to make loads lighter;
not use heavy hands to hold others back.
In life we are to be messengers of peace, signs of joy;
not Chicken Little portents of gloom-n-doom.
In life we are to enjoy, to savor, to remember, to reflect;
not to overlook, to forget, to ignore, to reject.
In life we are to seek conscious awareness;
not doze in the doldrums of half-awake.
In life we are to dare mighty things;
not to fear things gravely.
In life we are to show up, stand up, step forward and speak up;
not to cringe in fear, choosing to sit down, or to step back,
allowing the voices of silence to speak so loudly.
In life we are to exercise proper stewardship of earth's resources;
not pillage the heritage of future generations.
In life we are to move forward through forgiveness;
not grind to a halt mired in bitterness and resentment.
In life we are to be wacky, weird, and wonderful
in our own unique God-given way;
not to be staid-n-proper lemmings, stuck on life's treadmill.
In life we are to reach, to stretch, and to soar;
not to slink in fear, held back by mistrust and doubt.
In life we are to realize: "I am a remarkable Somebody!";
not listen to other's jabs:
"You're a Nobody, an Everybody, an Anybody."
In life we are to comprehend, "I am worthwhile";
not tremble with feelings of worthlessness.
In life we are to create, to laugh, and to live life nobly;
not to despair, to moan, or to live life less.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
The Wonders of the Holy Spirt
The more I read about the Holy Spirit's work, the more in awe I am.
Should we be expecting the same miraculous confirmations of our witnessing in evangelism today as we saw in the early church? My answer is yes, because the Scriptures show God's power is available to the beleiver. The reason I say yes is that I don’t see any compelling reason given in the New Testament that God has declared a moratorium on miracles. But I do see lists of miraculous gifts for the church (not just apostles) in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. So I think God intends to bless his Word and his people with miracles in our day — extraordinary works of divine power that go beyond the laws of nature. And I hve seen some of them in answers to prayer.
When the Lord Jesus returns to heaven and the apostles have laid the foundation of the church in the New Testament and are taken off the scene, I think what we have is not a de-supernatualized religion. Not at all! The Holy Spirit has been poured out, and he is still fully capable of doing signs and wonders. Rather, we have a centralized focus on the Word of God, the gospel, because all the central acts of salvation are now in history and it is the Word that connects us with these saving acts of God in the past.
As long as we keep the word of God in its properly central place, I think it would please the Lord for us to pray the way the early church did in Acts 4:29-30. Here’s what they said, “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
One of the things that amazes me is how the Spirit helps me to preach and teach. Preaching should be always under the Spirit – His power and control – and you do not know what is going to happen. So we always need to stay open to the Spirit. It may sound contradictory to say, ‘prepare, and prepare carefully,’ and yet ‘be free.’ But there is no contradiction. You will find that the Spirit Who has helped you in your preparation may now help you, while you are speaking, in an entirely new way, and open things out to you which you had not seen while you were preparing your sermon.
PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!
Should we be expecting the same miraculous confirmations of our witnessing in evangelism today as we saw in the early church? My answer is yes, because the Scriptures show God's power is available to the beleiver. The reason I say yes is that I don’t see any compelling reason given in the New Testament that God has declared a moratorium on miracles. But I do see lists of miraculous gifts for the church (not just apostles) in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. So I think God intends to bless his Word and his people with miracles in our day — extraordinary works of divine power that go beyond the laws of nature. And I hve seen some of them in answers to prayer.
When the Lord Jesus returns to heaven and the apostles have laid the foundation of the church in the New Testament and are taken off the scene, I think what we have is not a de-supernatualized religion. Not at all! The Holy Spirit has been poured out, and he is still fully capable of doing signs and wonders. Rather, we have a centralized focus on the Word of God, the gospel, because all the central acts of salvation are now in history and it is the Word that connects us with these saving acts of God in the past.
As long as we keep the word of God in its properly central place, I think it would please the Lord for us to pray the way the early church did in Acts 4:29-30. Here’s what they said, “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
One of the things that amazes me is how the Spirit helps me to preach and teach. Preaching should be always under the Spirit – His power and control – and you do not know what is going to happen. So we always need to stay open to the Spirit. It may sound contradictory to say, ‘prepare, and prepare carefully,’ and yet ‘be free.’ But there is no contradiction. You will find that the Spirit Who has helped you in your preparation may now help you, while you are speaking, in an entirely new way, and open things out to you which you had not seen while you were preparing your sermon.
PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Jesus Loves You, This We Know
1st John is a wonderful epistle full of deep sayings about God and his love for us. John wrote the Epistle so that the joy of his audience would "be full" (1.4) and that they would "sin not" (2.1) and that "you who believe in the name of the Son of God... may know that you have eternal life." (5.13) The letter was written to (1:1-4) is to declare the Word of Life to those to whom he writes, in order that they might be united in fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. He shows that the means of union with God are, (1) on the part of Christ, his atoning work (1:7; 2:2; 3:5; 4:10, 14; 5:11, 12) and his advocacy (2:1); and (2), on the part of man, holiness (1:6), obedience (2:3), purity (3:3), faith (3:23; 4:3; 5:5), and love (2:7, 8; 3:14; 4:7; 5:1).
There are many scriptural gems here -- and the whole book bears reading often. in Chapter 4 alone you find the amazing verse pictured above, as well as that wonderful promise of 4:4 "greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world!" And then there is the sage advice of 4:11 "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." We are called to be people of remarkable, radical love, not as the world loves, but as Jesus loves us.
God WIll Make a Way for You
"This the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24
One of the favorite choruses we sing in our churches is God will make it way. It’s words resonate with faith in God’s steadfast love and sovereign power.
God will make a way,
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
The song echoes the promises of God in Scripture, and is most closely associated with the words of the prophet in Isaiah 43, where he proclaims God’s words: I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
…For I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, To give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself, So that they might declare my praise.
What a wonderful vision this is –streams in the desert, a pathway in the wilderness, all through the power and grace of God almighty.
God doesn’t promise to take away the wilderness or the desert, or take you out of it, but He promises to make a way through it and to help you find the life giving water, so that people will stop and see the new thing that God is doing, and give God all the praise and honor He so richly deserves.
This promise was for the Hebrews then, and through Jesus it is also for us, for all of us. God will do a new thing. God is doing a new thing. And this can give us great hope. No matter how difficult the situation, or sleepless the night, or painful the problem, God will do a new thing. God will make a way where there seems to be no way.
We must look for the new thing God is doing – and flow with it, and rejoice. At the heart of Christianity is the wisdom of the ages – and it is this – Jesus loves you. Immerse yourself in the love of Jesus Christ, receive Him as your Lord and Savior and ask Him to fill you with the overwhelming power and grace of the Holy Spirit.
Rise each morning with hope in your heart and faith that God is with you each step that you take. Go out and look for that new thing God is doing. Live to be a blessing for God to other people, and you will surely be blessed. Don’t let your imagination be closed off by the cares and distractions of this world. As a Christian you are part of God’s family, a child of the living God, so rejoice! No matter what comes your way, remember to walk in the blessing you have as God’s child.
As a Christian you have a legacy of miracles: remember the seas that split open so that the people could pass through on dry land; pillars of fire in the night that led the people through the wilderness; rocks that rolled away from the tomb. The dead raised; the lost found. You have a memory of God’s liberating, overpowering love! Put your faith there, and the miracles that are part of your spiritual bloodline will come to life in you.
This is a great day. It is the day God has made for you. God is about to do a new thing in your life. May praises for God be on your lips for every day you are alive on this Earth. Praise the Lord! In Jesus Name. Amen. Amen.
One of the favorite choruses we sing in our churches is God will make it way. It’s words resonate with faith in God’s steadfast love and sovereign power.
God will make a way,
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
The song echoes the promises of God in Scripture, and is most closely associated with the words of the prophet in Isaiah 43, where he proclaims God’s words: I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
…For I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, To give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself, So that they might declare my praise.
What a wonderful vision this is –streams in the desert, a pathway in the wilderness, all through the power and grace of God almighty.
God doesn’t promise to take away the wilderness or the desert, or take you out of it, but He promises to make a way through it and to help you find the life giving water, so that people will stop and see the new thing that God is doing, and give God all the praise and honor He so richly deserves.
This promise was for the Hebrews then, and through Jesus it is also for us, for all of us. God will do a new thing. God is doing a new thing. And this can give us great hope. No matter how difficult the situation, or sleepless the night, or painful the problem, God will do a new thing. God will make a way where there seems to be no way.
We must look for the new thing God is doing – and flow with it, and rejoice. At the heart of Christianity is the wisdom of the ages – and it is this – Jesus loves you. Immerse yourself in the love of Jesus Christ, receive Him as your Lord and Savior and ask Him to fill you with the overwhelming power and grace of the Holy Spirit.
Rise each morning with hope in your heart and faith that God is with you each step that you take. Go out and look for that new thing God is doing. Live to be a blessing for God to other people, and you will surely be blessed. Don’t let your imagination be closed off by the cares and distractions of this world. As a Christian you are part of God’s family, a child of the living God, so rejoice! No matter what comes your way, remember to walk in the blessing you have as God’s child.
As a Christian you have a legacy of miracles: remember the seas that split open so that the people could pass through on dry land; pillars of fire in the night that led the people through the wilderness; rocks that rolled away from the tomb. The dead raised; the lost found. You have a memory of God’s liberating, overpowering love! Put your faith there, and the miracles that are part of your spiritual bloodline will come to life in you.
This is a great day. It is the day God has made for you. God is about to do a new thing in your life. May praises for God be on your lips for every day you are alive on this Earth. Praise the Lord! In Jesus Name. Amen. Amen.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Living for Jesus, Living in Love
Greetings in Christ. May God bless you richly today. Today we continue bringing to you “Words of Encouragement” and pray that these words will edify you and give you strength. I want to encourage you to live for Jesus Christ and to remind you that as a Christian He has given you His Authority – so USE IT!
One of the great songs of the Christian faith is “Living for Jesus” The words exhort us to live for Him : “Living for Jesus, a life that is true, Striving to please Him in all that I do; Yielding allegiance, glad hearted and free, This is the pathway of blessing for me.”
The song goes on to call onus to give our lives to Jesus and make our hearts His throne. Have you done this? Or do you have more to do? The time is short, I encourage you to do it quickly.
God makes plain to us that He is the head and owner of the church. He paid for it with His own blood. We are to humbly follow him and to believe that His word is true and that He backs up His promises. We are to fulfill Christ’s own Great Commission, but He has given us all the ammunition we need to fight our battle with the spiritual enemy.
We have His authority and we have the Name of Jesus! Mat. 28:18-20 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Luke 19:19-20 “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” Pray, declare His word INTO YOUR LIFE in His Name!
God has our back. He will fulfill his guarantees.
God is your mighty fortress, His angels have charge over you. You have unseen protection at all times. Ps. 91.11 “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” Build your faith up. Romans 10:17 “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”
Press in to God and He will press into you. The time has come to clean up, rise up, and live radically for Jesus! James 4:7.8 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."
And at the heart of living for Jesus is what James called the royal law – “to love your neighbor as yourself” We are to be people of love, followers of the Golden rule that Jesus gave us in Matthew 7:12 – “to Do unto others what you would have them do unto you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
If you want to know what that love looks like, read 1 Corinthians 13th chapter, and you will see that it is patient, kind, generous, humble, courteous, unselfish, good tempered, forgiving, and sincere.
I encourage you today to live for Jesus and be a person known by your love.
One of the great songs of the Christian faith is “Living for Jesus” The words exhort us to live for Him : “Living for Jesus, a life that is true, Striving to please Him in all that I do; Yielding allegiance, glad hearted and free, This is the pathway of blessing for me.”
The song goes on to call onus to give our lives to Jesus and make our hearts His throne. Have you done this? Or do you have more to do? The time is short, I encourage you to do it quickly.
God makes plain to us that He is the head and owner of the church. He paid for it with His own blood. We are to humbly follow him and to believe that His word is true and that He backs up His promises. We are to fulfill Christ’s own Great Commission, but He has given us all the ammunition we need to fight our battle with the spiritual enemy.
We have His authority and we have the Name of Jesus! Mat. 28:18-20 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Luke 19:19-20 “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” Pray, declare His word INTO YOUR LIFE in His Name!
God has our back. He will fulfill his guarantees.
God is your mighty fortress, His angels have charge over you. You have unseen protection at all times. Ps. 91.11 “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” Build your faith up. Romans 10:17 “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”
Press in to God and He will press into you. The time has come to clean up, rise up, and live radically for Jesus! James 4:7.8 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."
And at the heart of living for Jesus is what James called the royal law – “to love your neighbor as yourself” We are to be people of love, followers of the Golden rule that Jesus gave us in Matthew 7:12 – “to Do unto others what you would have them do unto you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
If you want to know what that love looks like, read 1 Corinthians 13th chapter, and you will see that it is patient, kind, generous, humble, courteous, unselfish, good tempered, forgiving, and sincere.
I encourage you today to live for Jesus and be a person known by your love.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
A Wedding Charge for Landi and Brett on 7-7-07
Last month we had the opportunity to gove a charge at the wedding of my niece Landi and her husband Brett. It is a good charge for any married couple:
May God's blessings surround you. May 1 Corinthians 13th Chapter be a blueprint for your love. If you want to know what true love looks like, you will find it there, and you will see that love is patient, kind, generous, humble, courteous, unselfish, good tempered, forgiving, and sincere.
May your home be a place where the Golden Rule, "that you do unto the other what you would have them do for you," is a way of life. May you always keep your sacred wedding vows, being reminded of them every time you see your wedding rings, and each time you look into each other's faces.
May you keep Jesus at the center of your marriage -- and as you grow closer to Him, you will find you also grow closer to each other.
I give you the Apostle Paul's vibrant command of Colossians 3rd chapter: "As God's own people, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness and patience, forgiving each other as the Lord has orgiven you. And crown all these things with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." (Col. 3:12-14)
"Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God through Him!" (Col. 3:17)
IN JESUS NAME we charge you. AMEN. AMEN.
May God's blessings surround you. May 1 Corinthians 13th Chapter be a blueprint for your love. If you want to know what true love looks like, you will find it there, and you will see that love is patient, kind, generous, humble, courteous, unselfish, good tempered, forgiving, and sincere.
May your home be a place where the Golden Rule, "that you do unto the other what you would have them do for you," is a way of life. May you always keep your sacred wedding vows, being reminded of them every time you see your wedding rings, and each time you look into each other's faces.
May you keep Jesus at the center of your marriage -- and as you grow closer to Him, you will find you also grow closer to each other.
I give you the Apostle Paul's vibrant command of Colossians 3rd chapter: "As God's own people, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness and patience, forgiving each other as the Lord has orgiven you. And crown all these things with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." (Col. 3:12-14)
"Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God through Him!" (Col. 3:17)
IN JESUS NAME we charge you. AMEN. AMEN.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
May You Be Encouraged in Christ
Faithfulness to God and seeking His will for our lives is a daily part of our faith journey. Being a faithful Christian, being true to your church and your family, is a wonderful calling that God has given to you.
I want to encourage you with these words from Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior: "With God all things are possible." Mark 10:27 For those of you who may be faced with what seems like a mountain, I am here to declare to you that through Christ we have the power to move Mountains. Let your faith be renewed and strengthened for whatever may lie ahead. Know that your God will not leave you through the hard times but he will be there each step of the way. (Matthew 28:20)
The Bible teaches us "In all ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:6
It is important to include God in every aspect of your life. Pray over all descisions that need to be made. Pray with your pastor and with other CHristianas you trust. Acknowledge that God is there and you want His guidance and you can be certain that He will not lead you wrong.
Don't let Satan overwhelm you with doubts. There may be valleys but the Lord will walk beside you and he will bring you out of them. My prayer is that your faith today will be strengthened for the battles that may lie ahead of you . My hope is that this promise will ring in your memory every day that "With God all things are possible".
God will not fail you. We may fail Him, but he will be there to forgive and guide us when we do. My prayer is that you will seek Him and look to Him. We know not what the future may bring but as the song says "I know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hand"
No matter what the obstacle, it is not to big for God. Be strengthened and encouraged by the example of Jesus Christ. Be filled with the Holy Spirit and comforted by His presence. May your faith be renewed in a God that cannot and will not fail you. May the Spirit help you to overcome Satans darts of discouragement and any hopelessness you may feel.
I have seen God's power still at work in this past year. We have seen many prayers answered. We have seen sick people have a complete turn around in health, wonderful things have happened because of the power of prayer... with God all things are possible.
Never give up! There is hope in Christ. Our God is an awesome God and you are the apple of His eye. He has promised he will never leave us no matter what may come, no matter what we have done he is a forgiving God and when we repent and ask him to forgive us, then he is just and merciful and compassionate to us -- and we need to be that way to each other (Mark 11:22-26). Cast your cares upon Him for He careth for you!
Let us know if we can be of help to you, especially if we can pray with you. Our prayer and desire is always to be a help to someone. May God bless richly.
I want to encourage you with these words from Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior: "With God all things are possible." Mark 10:27 For those of you who may be faced with what seems like a mountain, I am here to declare to you that through Christ we have the power to move Mountains. Let your faith be renewed and strengthened for whatever may lie ahead. Know that your God will not leave you through the hard times but he will be there each step of the way. (Matthew 28:20)
The Bible teaches us "In all ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:6
It is important to include God in every aspect of your life. Pray over all descisions that need to be made. Pray with your pastor and with other CHristianas you trust. Acknowledge that God is there and you want His guidance and you can be certain that He will not lead you wrong.
Don't let Satan overwhelm you with doubts. There may be valleys but the Lord will walk beside you and he will bring you out of them. My prayer is that your faith today will be strengthened for the battles that may lie ahead of you . My hope is that this promise will ring in your memory every day that "With God all things are possible".
God will not fail you. We may fail Him, but he will be there to forgive and guide us when we do. My prayer is that you will seek Him and look to Him. We know not what the future may bring but as the song says "I know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hand"
No matter what the obstacle, it is not to big for God. Be strengthened and encouraged by the example of Jesus Christ. Be filled with the Holy Spirit and comforted by His presence. May your faith be renewed in a God that cannot and will not fail you. May the Spirit help you to overcome Satans darts of discouragement and any hopelessness you may feel.
I have seen God's power still at work in this past year. We have seen many prayers answered. We have seen sick people have a complete turn around in health, wonderful things have happened because of the power of prayer... with God all things are possible.
Never give up! There is hope in Christ. Our God is an awesome God and you are the apple of His eye. He has promised he will never leave us no matter what may come, no matter what we have done he is a forgiving God and when we repent and ask him to forgive us, then he is just and merciful and compassionate to us -- and we need to be that way to each other (Mark 11:22-26). Cast your cares upon Him for He careth for you!
Let us know if we can be of help to you, especially if we can pray with you. Our prayer and desire is always to be a help to someone. May God bless richly.
With God All Things Are Possible
With God all things are possible
The Lord is Great and Mighty.
He is able to do all things and all things are subject to Him.
With Him all things are possible and nothing is impossible.
He is able to save to the uttermost and no one is so far gone that the Lord cannot save him.
His Ways are past finding out, yet His Spirit is able to reveal all things to us.
There is no truth so deep that He cannot teach it to us, for He is able to teach us all things by His Spirit by simply bringing it to our remembrance.
There is no pit so deep that He cannot lift us out of it.
There is no problem so difficult that He cannot solve it.
Put your whole trust in the Lord, for He is able to protect you and defend you.
The Lord is Great and Mighty.
"With God all things are possible." Mark 10:27
The Lord is Great and Mighty.
He is able to do all things and all things are subject to Him.
With Him all things are possible and nothing is impossible.
He is able to save to the uttermost and no one is so far gone that the Lord cannot save him.
His Ways are past finding out, yet His Spirit is able to reveal all things to us.
There is no truth so deep that He cannot teach it to us, for He is able to teach us all things by His Spirit by simply bringing it to our remembrance.
There is no pit so deep that He cannot lift us out of it.
There is no problem so difficult that He cannot solve it.
Put your whole trust in the Lord, for He is able to protect you and defend you.
The Lord is Great and Mighty.
"With God all things are possible." Mark 10:27
Thoughts on Prayer
Prayer is the heartbeat of Christianity. A good prayer to begin your prayers with is: ‘Lord, please speak to me: your servant is listening…’
Another truth is this one -- ‘If you’re too busy to pray you’re too busy…’ Other truths to contemplate -- ‘Prayer should make you joyful…’ ‘When it’s hardest to pray is the time to pray hardest’ ‘More prayer, more power…’ ‘Pray as if all things are possible with God, because the Scripture says they are!' (Mark 10:27)
Our prayer life reflects who we are as Christians. Our prayer is the best measure of the integrity of our Christian life, the best index of our relationships – with God, others, self, ministry. Prayer is friendship and communication with God. So… prayer is about Who we are... Who God is...and who we are in Christ.
God (in Christ) reveals His will through Scripture, Spirit guided Reason, through the history and the authority of the Church, and through our own faith experience.
Jesus is our pattern for ministry - to God and for the world. Close communion with the Father was at the heart of all he was and did. As his disciples saw this reality they wanted to be part of it (why don't more people ask us to teach them to pray?). His prayer-life was disciplined and ordered, although he too, was busy. It begins with a contemplation of God - 'Our Father' - before moving to human need. He prays hard before important decisions, like choosing the twelve.
His meditation on Scripture gives strength in times of testing, particularly when the devil wants him to do ministry another way. Time is found for prayer - 40 days, a whole night, very early in the morning: hurry is the death of prayer. Be still and know He is God! (Pslam 46:10)
Focus your prayers on God and others, then your own self. Nowhere does Jesus pray 'to feel good'or is in any way self centered: for Him, and for us, the key thing is obedience and service to God and church adn community.
Another truth is this one -- ‘If you’re too busy to pray you’re too busy…’ Other truths to contemplate -- ‘Prayer should make you joyful…’ ‘When it’s hardest to pray is the time to pray hardest’ ‘More prayer, more power…’ ‘Pray as if all things are possible with God, because the Scripture says they are!' (Mark 10:27)
Our prayer life reflects who we are as Christians. Our prayer is the best measure of the integrity of our Christian life, the best index of our relationships – with God, others, self, ministry. Prayer is friendship and communication with God. So… prayer is about Who we are... Who God is...and who we are in Christ.
God (in Christ) reveals His will through Scripture, Spirit guided Reason, through the history and the authority of the Church, and through our own faith experience.
Jesus is our pattern for ministry - to God and for the world. Close communion with the Father was at the heart of all he was and did. As his disciples saw this reality they wanted to be part of it (why don't more people ask us to teach them to pray?). His prayer-life was disciplined and ordered, although he too, was busy. It begins with a contemplation of God - 'Our Father' - before moving to human need. He prays hard before important decisions, like choosing the twelve.
His meditation on Scripture gives strength in times of testing, particularly when the devil wants him to do ministry another way. Time is found for prayer - 40 days, a whole night, very early in the morning: hurry is the death of prayer. Be still and know He is God! (Pslam 46:10)
Focus your prayers on God and others, then your own self. Nowhere does Jesus pray 'to feel good'or is in any way self centered: for Him, and for us, the key thing is obedience and service to God and church adn community.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Teamwork in Our Prayer Life
Every great work in the Church begins with someone on their knees. Tap into the power of God through prayer.
"We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family." Romans 8:28-29.
A minister friend of mine sent me the following inspiring devotional story:
On the Military Channel you can watch programs such as the training for those who desire to become Navy SEALS. This includes many physical and mental stresses. One training is called "Old Misery." Exhausted, wet, and hungry teams of men hoist "Old Misery" (a 400 hundred pound log) onto their aching shoulders and then carry it up and down the beach. When one man stumbles, his teammates immediately help him up, carrying his portion of "Old Misery" until he is steady on his feet, and encouraging him to finish the task.
Each man knows the value of teamwork and how the load increases exponentially when one man stumbles. What a clear picture of God allowing struggles in our lives as a way to keep our attention focused on the mission to be conformed to the likeness of His son. Pain and struggles can be tools God uses them to shape and prune us. This "sanctification process" begins when we first ask Christ to enter our lives and ends when we meet Him face to face in heaven.
In times of struggles our true convictions, my faith and commitment are tested. It's easy for me to say, "Praise God, isn't He good," when things are peaceful. But when struggles enter my life, what I really believe about God becomes evident in my thoughts, words, and actions. The wonderful part of the promise is that we are not alone. We have the Holy Spirit there to cheer us on, we have companions who will carry our share of the load when we stumble, and we can return the favor when our brother or sister stumbles.
As you encounter your own "Old Misery" situations, remember you are not alone. The Lord has provided His Holy Spirit to help you carry the load and He will place people in your life that will help you and encourage you to finish the task of becoming more Christ-like. That way, you and I can live the command of Ephesians 4:1, "walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called." Please pray for your church and its members on a regular basis. Begin by asking God if there is anything blocking your prayers, or keeping you from spending time each day with Him in prayer. Sometimes unforgiveness is a block upon your prayers (Mark 11:22-26). IF there is a block. get rid of it. Your prayer life is too important to harbor grudges and unforgiveness.
"We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family." Romans 8:28-29.
A minister friend of mine sent me the following inspiring devotional story:
On the Military Channel you can watch programs such as the training for those who desire to become Navy SEALS. This includes many physical and mental stresses. One training is called "Old Misery." Exhausted, wet, and hungry teams of men hoist "Old Misery" (a 400 hundred pound log) onto their aching shoulders and then carry it up and down the beach. When one man stumbles, his teammates immediately help him up, carrying his portion of "Old Misery" until he is steady on his feet, and encouraging him to finish the task.
Each man knows the value of teamwork and how the load increases exponentially when one man stumbles. What a clear picture of God allowing struggles in our lives as a way to keep our attention focused on the mission to be conformed to the likeness of His son. Pain and struggles can be tools God uses them to shape and prune us. This "sanctification process" begins when we first ask Christ to enter our lives and ends when we meet Him face to face in heaven.
In times of struggles our true convictions, my faith and commitment are tested. It's easy for me to say, "Praise God, isn't He good," when things are peaceful. But when struggles enter my life, what I really believe about God becomes evident in my thoughts, words, and actions. The wonderful part of the promise is that we are not alone. We have the Holy Spirit there to cheer us on, we have companions who will carry our share of the load when we stumble, and we can return the favor when our brother or sister stumbles.
As you encounter your own "Old Misery" situations, remember you are not alone. The Lord has provided His Holy Spirit to help you carry the load and He will place people in your life that will help you and encourage you to finish the task of becoming more Christ-like. That way, you and I can live the command of Ephesians 4:1, "walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called." Please pray for your church and its members on a regular basis. Begin by asking God if there is anything blocking your prayers, or keeping you from spending time each day with Him in prayer. Sometimes unforgiveness is a block upon your prayers (Mark 11:22-26). IF there is a block. get rid of it. Your prayer life is too important to harbor grudges and unforgiveness.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Ways of Being Faithful
Jesus told a parable in Matthew 25 to illustrate how we would be evaluated by our heavenly Father. It is known as the Parable of the Talents. In the story a rich man went on a journey and entrusted differing amounts of money to his servants. When he returned, he rewarded the servants based on their faithfulness, not their success. He said to the faithful ones, "Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master." One had gained more than the other, but both were rewarded for their faithfulness. If we would receive this kind of reward, we must be faithful.
As Christians, our lives proclaim our Lord’s power. What are some of the areas in which we must exhibit faithfulness? Let me suggest several ways in which we must be faithful as believers.
Be True To Your Word – Be a Person God and Others Can Count On – Be Dependable
We must be true to our word. It is our bond! Jesus told us in Matthew 5:37 to let our yes be yes and our no be no. In other words, people should be able to count on what we say.
Often, we say we will do things we either do not intend to do or are not able to do. Sometimes we do this in order to put people off. We tell our employer we will have it done tomorrow. We tell our wife we will fix it next week. We tell our children we will do it this weekend. But we must be careful. Someone has said that the number one problem in parent/child relationships is resentment and the number one cause of resentment is broken promises.
But we should be dependable because people should be able to count on us. If you are dependable then you do not have to convince people that you will do what you say. You do not have to swear you will do it. You do not have to say "Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye."
Because you have been faithful in what you say, people will know they can count on you. As you are faithful over a period of time, you will become know for your dependability.
Honor Your Marriage – Marriage is a Cornerstone of God’s Blessing for the WorldTo be faithful, you must honor your marriage. When we stand before God at the altar, we vow that we will be faithful to each other in marriage. Many people simply interpret that vow as a vow to avoid adultery. But you can be unfaithful without committing adultery. When you allow other things to chip away at your marriage relationship, you are moving towards unfaithfulness. You must guard your marriage relationship. It is a precious gift from God. Act in love always.
Hebrews 13:4 reads, "Let marriage be held in honor among all." If we are to honor our marriage relationship and live in it in such a way that it is honored by all, then we must take it seriously. Honor means "to hold in respect." If we hold our marriage in respect and want others to hold marriage in respect then we will honor our commitment and be true to our marriage vows.
Use Your God Given Talents, and Your Spiritual Gifts, to Build Up and Encourage OthersY
You must also use your talents if you would be faithful. Do not sit on them. Let yourself be used by God, in however small a way at first. As you are faithful and learn to work with other Christians and follow the leaders God has chosen, you will be given more and more to do for Him. Listen to these words in 1 Peter 4:10: "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." We are to use those gifts which God has given us in faithful service to one another. Don’t hide them. USE THEM!
Not all of us have the same gifts. None of us have all the gifts. But each of us has as least a gift. God has called us to be faithful in using the gift or gifts we have. To faithfully use our talents means that we use what we have. It doesn't mean that we do what we can't do or that we use what we don't have. God has not called us to do it all. But He has called us to use what He has given us. Someone said that we can't all be brilliant, but we can all be faithful.
Guard Your Tongue – What You Say Can Be a Blessing, or a Curse. Choose Blessing!
If we are going to be considered faithful people, then we must guard our speech. Guard your tongue. Words are powerful, and they have a powerful impact on other people. Being faithful to God means that we must watch what we say. In fact, I believe that it is important to watch not only what we say but how we say it. Words have the power to build up, or to tear down. Words have the power to encourage, or to destroy. How are you using your words?
The book of James has much to say on the power of the tongue. Read that book if you want a clear understanding on how we need to guard our words. In James 3 we read that with the tongue “we bless our Lord and Father, and with it curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren these things ought not to be this way" (v. 8-10). Watch what you say. Give other folks the benefit of the doubt. Do not jump to conclusions and fly off the handle. Be patient and forgiving and loving.
If we are going to be considered faithful then we must be faithful in the use of our words. We must use words to build up one another. We must use words to encourage one another. We must speak to others, and about one others as God would have us speak. We must guard our tongue.
Manage Your Money – Your Money Can Be a Means of God’s Blessing
If we are to be faithful we must manage our money. I do not mean that we must simply control our money. I mean that we must control it in a godly way. The Bible teaches that we are merely stewards of what we have, not owners. God has given us material resources and we must handle them in such a way that God is glorified. In Luke 16:11 we read, "If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you?"
This is quite an amazing statement. In other words, if you are not faithful with money, God will not trust you with spiritual things. The way you handle your finances will determine whether God can use you and what God can do in your life. If God cannot trust you with material wealth, He will never trust you with spiritual wealth. Are you being faithful with your money?
Be Committed To Your Church -- You May Be the Blessing the Church Needs
To be faithful means that we must committed to our church. God has called each believer to be identified with a biblical fellowship of believers called a church. Nowhere in the New Testament is there this idea that Christians can just float around without becoming committed to a local church. It is in this committed relationship that God works out His will in our lives. It is because of this committed relationship that we can accomplish His work in the world.
The Bible tells us that we are in a spiritual struggle. We are in a war with the enemy and as believers we are compared to soldiers. We have joined God's army. The sad thing about the church is that while the battle is being fought many of the soldiers are AWOL.
If we would be found faithful, then we must be faithful to one another as well as to God. Jesus said in John 13:35, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." In Romans 12:5 we read, "So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." Don’t judge others. Pray for them. Be an example.
This is what it means to be identified with a local church as a committed member. It is a commitment to one another, to love one another, to share with one another, to care for one another. Become a true participant, not a spectator; a contributor, not merely a consumer. Can the Lord count on you? Can other believers count on you? Are you someone that your pastor can depend on? Do you think of others first? Are you committed where God has planted you!
Jesus is coming again. With Him, He will bring His reward. It is my prayer that we will all hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful in a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord." (Matt. 25:23)
As Christians, our lives proclaim our Lord’s power. What are some of the areas in which we must exhibit faithfulness? Let me suggest several ways in which we must be faithful as believers.
Be True To Your Word – Be a Person God and Others Can Count On – Be Dependable
We must be true to our word. It is our bond! Jesus told us in Matthew 5:37 to let our yes be yes and our no be no. In other words, people should be able to count on what we say.
Often, we say we will do things we either do not intend to do or are not able to do. Sometimes we do this in order to put people off. We tell our employer we will have it done tomorrow. We tell our wife we will fix it next week. We tell our children we will do it this weekend. But we must be careful. Someone has said that the number one problem in parent/child relationships is resentment and the number one cause of resentment is broken promises.
But we should be dependable because people should be able to count on us. If you are dependable then you do not have to convince people that you will do what you say. You do not have to swear you will do it. You do not have to say "Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye."
Because you have been faithful in what you say, people will know they can count on you. As you are faithful over a period of time, you will become know for your dependability.
Honor Your Marriage – Marriage is a Cornerstone of God’s Blessing for the WorldTo be faithful, you must honor your marriage. When we stand before God at the altar, we vow that we will be faithful to each other in marriage. Many people simply interpret that vow as a vow to avoid adultery. But you can be unfaithful without committing adultery. When you allow other things to chip away at your marriage relationship, you are moving towards unfaithfulness. You must guard your marriage relationship. It is a precious gift from God. Act in love always.
Hebrews 13:4 reads, "Let marriage be held in honor among all." If we are to honor our marriage relationship and live in it in such a way that it is honored by all, then we must take it seriously. Honor means "to hold in respect." If we hold our marriage in respect and want others to hold marriage in respect then we will honor our commitment and be true to our marriage vows.
Use Your God Given Talents, and Your Spiritual Gifts, to Build Up and Encourage OthersY
You must also use your talents if you would be faithful. Do not sit on them. Let yourself be used by God, in however small a way at first. As you are faithful and learn to work with other Christians and follow the leaders God has chosen, you will be given more and more to do for Him. Listen to these words in 1 Peter 4:10: "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." We are to use those gifts which God has given us in faithful service to one another. Don’t hide them. USE THEM!
Not all of us have the same gifts. None of us have all the gifts. But each of us has as least a gift. God has called us to be faithful in using the gift or gifts we have. To faithfully use our talents means that we use what we have. It doesn't mean that we do what we can't do or that we use what we don't have. God has not called us to do it all. But He has called us to use what He has given us. Someone said that we can't all be brilliant, but we can all be faithful.
Guard Your Tongue – What You Say Can Be a Blessing, or a Curse. Choose Blessing!
If we are going to be considered faithful people, then we must guard our speech. Guard your tongue. Words are powerful, and they have a powerful impact on other people. Being faithful to God means that we must watch what we say. In fact, I believe that it is important to watch not only what we say but how we say it. Words have the power to build up, or to tear down. Words have the power to encourage, or to destroy. How are you using your words?
The book of James has much to say on the power of the tongue. Read that book if you want a clear understanding on how we need to guard our words. In James 3 we read that with the tongue “we bless our Lord and Father, and with it curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren these things ought not to be this way" (v. 8-10). Watch what you say. Give other folks the benefit of the doubt. Do not jump to conclusions and fly off the handle. Be patient and forgiving and loving.
If we are going to be considered faithful then we must be faithful in the use of our words. We must use words to build up one another. We must use words to encourage one another. We must speak to others, and about one others as God would have us speak. We must guard our tongue.
Manage Your Money – Your Money Can Be a Means of God’s Blessing
If we are to be faithful we must manage our money. I do not mean that we must simply control our money. I mean that we must control it in a godly way. The Bible teaches that we are merely stewards of what we have, not owners. God has given us material resources and we must handle them in such a way that God is glorified. In Luke 16:11 we read, "If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you?"
This is quite an amazing statement. In other words, if you are not faithful with money, God will not trust you with spiritual things. The way you handle your finances will determine whether God can use you and what God can do in your life. If God cannot trust you with material wealth, He will never trust you with spiritual wealth. Are you being faithful with your money?
Be Committed To Your Church -- You May Be the Blessing the Church Needs
To be faithful means that we must committed to our church. God has called each believer to be identified with a biblical fellowship of believers called a church. Nowhere in the New Testament is there this idea that Christians can just float around without becoming committed to a local church. It is in this committed relationship that God works out His will in our lives. It is because of this committed relationship that we can accomplish His work in the world.
The Bible tells us that we are in a spiritual struggle. We are in a war with the enemy and as believers we are compared to soldiers. We have joined God's army. The sad thing about the church is that while the battle is being fought many of the soldiers are AWOL.
If we would be found faithful, then we must be faithful to one another as well as to God. Jesus said in John 13:35, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." In Romans 12:5 we read, "So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." Don’t judge others. Pray for them. Be an example.
This is what it means to be identified with a local church as a committed member. It is a commitment to one another, to love one another, to share with one another, to care for one another. Become a true participant, not a spectator; a contributor, not merely a consumer. Can the Lord count on you? Can other believers count on you? Are you someone that your pastor can depend on? Do you think of others first? Are you committed where God has planted you!
Jesus is coming again. With Him, He will bring His reward. It is my prayer that we will all hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful in a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord." (Matt. 25:23)
Are You A Faithful Christian?
Are you a Roman candle Christian – a lot a sparks at first and a big bang, and then you disappear? Or are you an Alka Seltzer Christian – plop, plop, fizz, fizz, bubble, bubble, and then nothing? No, hopefully you are the kind of Christian Paul writes about in Hebrews 12:2, a runner who patiently finishes the race, “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
If you are going to be an example of faithfulness, you must be true to your word. In other words, we must keep our promises. We must be careful to do what we say we are going to do. Stay true to the vows you have taken in marriage and in joining the church. Those vows are holy and sacred before God and are not to be taken lightly. If you promised to be a faithful spouse, be one. If you promised to be a faithful member of your church, by all means, be one.
We Christians we are called to be faithful people: faithful to God, faithful to His church, faithful to His people, faithful to our family, and faithful to our community. We cannot be stubborn and only into ourselves, we must put God first and others second, doing unto others as we would have them do to us. (Matthew 7:12). We need faithfully walk in love and forgiveness.
The characteristic of faithfulness is certainly one element that is missing in much of our society today. Marriages break up because of a lack of faithfulness. Business partnerships dissolve because of a lack of faithfulness. Friendships end in bitterness because of a lack of faithfulness. Faithfulness is the foundation for human relationships and for stability in society. Unfortunately, faithfulness, and words related to it like commitment, loyalty, reliability, and integrity, is no longer considered as essential by many parts of our culture. But we are to be faithful.
For us as believers, faithfulness is indispensable. Without it, we will not be pleasing to God. Indeed, the one characteristic which should mark Christians is faithfulness. It should mark us because it marks God. Great is His faithfulness, day after day, morning by morning.
Faithfulness is an essential attribute of God's character. It should go without saying that God is faithful. We read in 2 Timothy 2:13; "If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself."
It would be a denial of God's very own nature for Him to be anything other than perfectly faithful. We need to faithful, too, not let anything keep us from helping God’s church by attending and loving and encouraging the fellow members and the elders and pastor.
Indeed, would we want a God who is less than faithful? If we had such a God, then we would never be certain whether we could trust Him. What good would His Word be? Of what value would His promises be? No! We would not want a God like that. And we do not have a God like that! We have a God in whom we can express the utmost confidence, because this God keeps His word. We are told in Hebrews 10:23, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." We serve a God who is faithful. We can trust Him.
Even our faith is based on His faithfulness. Hebrews 11:11 reads, "By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised." God's faithfulness produces faith in us. The fact that God is faithful means we can have faith in Him. If we will take our eyes off ourselves, we might see Jesus.
And if we keep our eyes on Jesus, faithfulness will come. Faith comes by hearing the Word (Rom. 10:17). This is the cycle which faithfulness produces. God's faithfulness will produce faith in us, which will then produce faithfulness in our lives as well. Because God is faithful, we learn to be faithful. Faithfulness is such a wonderful thing, stoked by the fires of true believers.
We have been called to faithfulness. In Luke 16:10 we read, "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much."
The choice is between being faithful or unrighteous. The opposite of faithfulness is unrighteousness. Indeed, our lives will be evaluated by our faithfulness or our lack of it.
If you are going to be an example of faithfulness, you must be true to your word. In other words, we must keep our promises. We must be careful to do what we say we are going to do. Stay true to the vows you have taken in marriage and in joining the church. Those vows are holy and sacred before God and are not to be taken lightly. If you promised to be a faithful spouse, be one. If you promised to be a faithful member of your church, by all means, be one.
We Christians we are called to be faithful people: faithful to God, faithful to His church, faithful to His people, faithful to our family, and faithful to our community. We cannot be stubborn and only into ourselves, we must put God first and others second, doing unto others as we would have them do to us. (Matthew 7:12). We need faithfully walk in love and forgiveness.
The characteristic of faithfulness is certainly one element that is missing in much of our society today. Marriages break up because of a lack of faithfulness. Business partnerships dissolve because of a lack of faithfulness. Friendships end in bitterness because of a lack of faithfulness. Faithfulness is the foundation for human relationships and for stability in society. Unfortunately, faithfulness, and words related to it like commitment, loyalty, reliability, and integrity, is no longer considered as essential by many parts of our culture. But we are to be faithful.
For us as believers, faithfulness is indispensable. Without it, we will not be pleasing to God. Indeed, the one characteristic which should mark Christians is faithfulness. It should mark us because it marks God. Great is His faithfulness, day after day, morning by morning.
Faithfulness is an essential attribute of God's character. It should go without saying that God is faithful. We read in 2 Timothy 2:13; "If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself."
It would be a denial of God's very own nature for Him to be anything other than perfectly faithful. We need to faithful, too, not let anything keep us from helping God’s church by attending and loving and encouraging the fellow members and the elders and pastor.
Indeed, would we want a God who is less than faithful? If we had such a God, then we would never be certain whether we could trust Him. What good would His Word be? Of what value would His promises be? No! We would not want a God like that. And we do not have a God like that! We have a God in whom we can express the utmost confidence, because this God keeps His word. We are told in Hebrews 10:23, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." We serve a God who is faithful. We can trust Him.
Even our faith is based on His faithfulness. Hebrews 11:11 reads, "By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised." God's faithfulness produces faith in us. The fact that God is faithful means we can have faith in Him. If we will take our eyes off ourselves, we might see Jesus.
And if we keep our eyes on Jesus, faithfulness will come. Faith comes by hearing the Word (Rom. 10:17). This is the cycle which faithfulness produces. God's faithfulness will produce faith in us, which will then produce faithfulness in our lives as well. Because God is faithful, we learn to be faithful. Faithfulness is such a wonderful thing, stoked by the fires of true believers.
We have been called to faithfulness. In Luke 16:10 we read, "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much."
The choice is between being faithful or unrighteous. The opposite of faithfulness is unrighteousness. Indeed, our lives will be evaluated by our faithfulness or our lack of it.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Jesus The Healer
The Healing Ministry of Jesus Christ
"At sunset, all those who had friends suffering from diseases of one kind or another brought them to Jesus and, laying his hands on each, he cured them." - Luke 4:40
Healing services are wonderful ways for churches to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who brought healing and wholeness to the broken and hurting. There is something profound about the prayers for each other, the songs of compassion, the touch of gentle hands and the warmth of the oil, even as the Holy Spirit moves among us.
Since its beginnings, the Christian faith has understood that care for the sick and the dying is part of who we are. The roots of our healing mission lie in the life and ministry of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. In proclaiming the kingdom of God, Jesus had a special place in his heart for those who were overwhelmed by sickness, disfigured by disease or threatened with death.
Three aspects of Jesus' own ministry to the sick and dying are particularly striking. First, he recognizes the vulnerability of the sick, in their need for care. Jesus touches these people, physically and spiritually, breaking through that barrier of disease which often makes people feel less than human. He touches the leper (Mark 1:41), lays hands on the blind man (Mark 8:22), and takes the hand of the daughter of Jairus (Luke 8:54). His touch seems to say to them in their wretchedness and isolation: "You are worthwhile. Through God's loving touch, you are whole. I am with you."
Second, Jesus brings the "outcast" back into human society through his healing word and touch. He challenges the notion that sickness is the result of sin. The diseased were thought of as unclean, punished by God and cut off from God's holy people. When his disciples asked, "Lord, who sinned, this man or his parents, for him to be born blind?" (John 9:2). Jesus replied, "Neither he nor his parents sinned." Jesus not only touches the outcasts but welcomes them back into community, into God's own family.
Finally, Jesus reaffirms the need for spiritual healing. The paralytic lowered through the roof is first healed of his sins (Mark 2:5), while the man by the pool at Bethesda is warned, "Give up your sins so that something worse may not overtake you" (John 5:24).
Death itself, the ultimate affront to humanity, is overcome by Jesus. He raised Jairus' daughter (Luke 8:49-56), the widow of Nain's son (Luke 7:11-17), and Lazarus (John 11:38-44). These miracles, of course, only restored earthly life. His own resurrection promises the fullness of eternal life.
God's compassion for all his children is revealed in the human touch of Jesus, in the restoration to community of those considered outcasts, and in the salvific healing of sin and death. This is fundamental to the message of the Gospel. Jesus saves! He provides the way to ultimate healing through salvation and victory over death!
Since the time of Jesus, Christians have seen care for the sick as one of the signs of the kingdom of God. In the parable of the Good Samaritan they find a reminder that practical compassion for those in need is at the heart of the Christian mission (Luke 10:30-37). Following the example of Jesus' own actions, the Christian community strives to break down the barriers of isolation felt by those who are sick or dying, to include them as full members of the human community, and to provide hope of an ultimate healing of sin and death.
Christians need to recognize that God's call to faith in Jesus Christ is also a call to continue his healing ministry. Healing is multifaceted. By living our faith in a loving, caring God, we bring healing hope to others. By not sinning and by choosing to be forgiving and compassionate, we make healing a part of our daily lives. In our own homes, churches, and communities we can bring Jesus' healing touch to the sick, to the outcast, and to the dying. With prayer and caring actions, we can bring comfort and compassion in countless ways to those in need.
In Baptism, we become members of the Body of Christ. As He reached out and touched the sick and the outcast, as He brought them back into the human family, as He gave all of us the hope of forgiveness and eternal life with God, so are we challenged to be His Body in this ministry today. May the Holy Spirit infuse us all with hearts of compassion, hands of gentleness, eyes that see, and ears that hear the cry of those who are suffering, and with the grace of knowing that we are not alone when we reach out to and care for the sick, the dying, the vulnerable, and the frail. May we be the willing instruments of Jesus' healing touch in our world.
"At sunset, all those who had friends suffering from diseases of one kind or another brought them to Jesus and, laying his hands on each, he cured them." - Luke 4:40
Healing services are wonderful ways for churches to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who brought healing and wholeness to the broken and hurting. There is something profound about the prayers for each other, the songs of compassion, the touch of gentle hands and the warmth of the oil, even as the Holy Spirit moves among us.
Since its beginnings, the Christian faith has understood that care for the sick and the dying is part of who we are. The roots of our healing mission lie in the life and ministry of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. In proclaiming the kingdom of God, Jesus had a special place in his heart for those who were overwhelmed by sickness, disfigured by disease or threatened with death.
Three aspects of Jesus' own ministry to the sick and dying are particularly striking. First, he recognizes the vulnerability of the sick, in their need for care. Jesus touches these people, physically and spiritually, breaking through that barrier of disease which often makes people feel less than human. He touches the leper (Mark 1:41), lays hands on the blind man (Mark 8:22), and takes the hand of the daughter of Jairus (Luke 8:54). His touch seems to say to them in their wretchedness and isolation: "You are worthwhile. Through God's loving touch, you are whole. I am with you."
Second, Jesus brings the "outcast" back into human society through his healing word and touch. He challenges the notion that sickness is the result of sin. The diseased were thought of as unclean, punished by God and cut off from God's holy people. When his disciples asked, "Lord, who sinned, this man or his parents, for him to be born blind?" (John 9:2). Jesus replied, "Neither he nor his parents sinned." Jesus not only touches the outcasts but welcomes them back into community, into God's own family.
Finally, Jesus reaffirms the need for spiritual healing. The paralytic lowered through the roof is first healed of his sins (Mark 2:5), while the man by the pool at Bethesda is warned, "Give up your sins so that something worse may not overtake you" (John 5:24).
Death itself, the ultimate affront to humanity, is overcome by Jesus. He raised Jairus' daughter (Luke 8:49-56), the widow of Nain's son (Luke 7:11-17), and Lazarus (John 11:38-44). These miracles, of course, only restored earthly life. His own resurrection promises the fullness of eternal life.
God's compassion for all his children is revealed in the human touch of Jesus, in the restoration to community of those considered outcasts, and in the salvific healing of sin and death. This is fundamental to the message of the Gospel. Jesus saves! He provides the way to ultimate healing through salvation and victory over death!
Since the time of Jesus, Christians have seen care for the sick as one of the signs of the kingdom of God. In the parable of the Good Samaritan they find a reminder that practical compassion for those in need is at the heart of the Christian mission (Luke 10:30-37). Following the example of Jesus' own actions, the Christian community strives to break down the barriers of isolation felt by those who are sick or dying, to include them as full members of the human community, and to provide hope of an ultimate healing of sin and death.
Christians need to recognize that God's call to faith in Jesus Christ is also a call to continue his healing ministry. Healing is multifaceted. By living our faith in a loving, caring God, we bring healing hope to others. By not sinning and by choosing to be forgiving and compassionate, we make healing a part of our daily lives. In our own homes, churches, and communities we can bring Jesus' healing touch to the sick, to the outcast, and to the dying. With prayer and caring actions, we can bring comfort and compassion in countless ways to those in need.
In Baptism, we become members of the Body of Christ. As He reached out and touched the sick and the outcast, as He brought them back into the human family, as He gave all of us the hope of forgiveness and eternal life with God, so are we challenged to be His Body in this ministry today. May the Holy Spirit infuse us all with hearts of compassion, hands of gentleness, eyes that see, and ears that hear the cry of those who are suffering, and with the grace of knowing that we are not alone when we reach out to and care for the sick, the dying, the vulnerable, and the frail. May we be the willing instruments of Jesus' healing touch in our world.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Jesus is the Answer
The Bible clearly states "all have sinned." It is my nature to sin, and it is yours too. None of us is untainted. John Calvin called it the depravity of humanity. We are born into a broken world, affected by original sin.
Because of sin, we've all hurt ourselves, we've all hurt other people, and others have hurt us. This means each of us need repentance and recovery in order to live our lives the way God intended. Forgive and forget is not needed -- forgive and love in Jesus Name is what is needed!
You've undoubtedly heard the expression that "time heals all wounds." Unfortunately, it isn't true. Wounds that are left untended fester and spread infection throughout your entire body. Time only extends the pain if the problem isn't dealt with. Prayer and love and saying we are sorry are key steps.
For us to have reconciliation and recovery with each other and with God, we must seek forgiveness, and offer compassion. Rather than wallowing in the past, or dredging up and rehearsing painful memories over and over, the Biblical call is to focus on the future. Regardless of what has already happened, the solution is to start making wise choices now and depend on Christ's power to help me make those changes.
Instead of playing the "accuse and excuse" game of victimization, The Bible way calls on people face up to their own poor choices and deal with what they can do something about. We cannot control all that happens to us. But we can control how we respond to everything. That is a secret of happiness. When we stop wasting time fixing the blame, we have more energy to fix the problem. When you stop hiding your own faults and stop hurling accusations at others, then the healing power of Christ can begin working in your mind, will, and emotions.
It has been said that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to what happens. spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ. The key is for people to make a total surrender of their lives to Christ. Lasting recovery cannot happen without this step. Everybody needs Jesus. This can be a great evagelistic happening. Changed lives always attract others who want to be changed.
Surrendering to Jesus is a powerful thing. When people surrender to Him, and let the Holy Spirit begin transformation from the heart up, amazing things happen. You are going to see lives changed in dramatic ways. You are going to see hopeless marriages restored and people set free from all kinds of sinful habits, hang-ups, and hurts as they allow Jesus to be Lord in every area of their lives. Jesus is the answer for the world today! To God be the glory!
Because of sin, we've all hurt ourselves, we've all hurt other people, and others have hurt us. This means each of us need repentance and recovery in order to live our lives the way God intended. Forgive and forget is not needed -- forgive and love in Jesus Name is what is needed!
You've undoubtedly heard the expression that "time heals all wounds." Unfortunately, it isn't true. Wounds that are left untended fester and spread infection throughout your entire body. Time only extends the pain if the problem isn't dealt with. Prayer and love and saying we are sorry are key steps.
For us to have reconciliation and recovery with each other and with God, we must seek forgiveness, and offer compassion. Rather than wallowing in the past, or dredging up and rehearsing painful memories over and over, the Biblical call is to focus on the future. Regardless of what has already happened, the solution is to start making wise choices now and depend on Christ's power to help me make those changes.
Instead of playing the "accuse and excuse" game of victimization, The Bible way calls on people face up to their own poor choices and deal with what they can do something about. We cannot control all that happens to us. But we can control how we respond to everything. That is a secret of happiness. When we stop wasting time fixing the blame, we have more energy to fix the problem. When you stop hiding your own faults and stop hurling accusations at others, then the healing power of Christ can begin working in your mind, will, and emotions.
It has been said that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to what happens. spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ. The key is for people to make a total surrender of their lives to Christ. Lasting recovery cannot happen without this step. Everybody needs Jesus. This can be a great evagelistic happening. Changed lives always attract others who want to be changed.
Surrendering to Jesus is a powerful thing. When people surrender to Him, and let the Holy Spirit begin transformation from the heart up, amazing things happen. You are going to see lives changed in dramatic ways. You are going to see hopeless marriages restored and people set free from all kinds of sinful habits, hang-ups, and hurts as they allow Jesus to be Lord in every area of their lives. Jesus is the answer for the world today! To God be the glory!
Friday, June 08, 2007
Vacation Bible School -- A Slice of Heaven on Earth
We just completed another amazing week of Vacation Bible School at one of the churches I serve. It is a great time, where we partner with other churches and serve the entire community in a big way. 98 children attended the VBS this year. 44 adults helped. It was one of those times when you see a little slice of heaven on earth, with great images of cooperation, helping, loving, and sheer joy.
What a wonderful beginning to what we expect to be a great summer! What an amazing week it was with the dear children and grandchildren who came to be with us! Water Works Park, the theme we used, was a great place to be in 2007! Our directors, three supremely gifted women, gave remarkable leadership. Our volunteers were loving and kind and caring. But it all was possible because the Lord has been with us, His Holy Spirit guiding and empowering us, and we are so very thankful for everything that happened in this place over the last four days.
It all starts for us with dedicated leaders and faithful volunteers. Our directors -– Mary, Dawn and Marcia -- are phenomenal – God has called them to this special ministry, and He helps them do a remarkable job each year. This is our county's largest Vacation Bible School because we join together as churches united for Christ, and we have dedicated people, called by God, who volunteer to help, to be part of our VBS family year after wonderful year.
And then we have Evelyn, who helps Mary lead the great VBS songs by playing the piano with great energy and precision. This year she was helped in the music by the wonderful “Splash Sisters” -- Renee and Ruth. And then there were all the teachers and guides and helpers – we are eternally grateful for each and every one of them. We had teachers coming in way early and staying hours later to plan and pray for the children. Their dedication brought tears to my eyes.
But we could not have this great time for the Lord without the help of the parents and guardians. They trusted us with their precious children and youth. We thank you for lending us these wonderful kids so that our staff could love them and teach them for the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a sacred thing to represent Jesus, and our staff tried to do a good job of that this week. Thanks to the parents so very much for helping the children to be part of VBS.
Now they go back to their families for additional loving and nurturing, as parents and grandparents do. Know that we will be praying for these children, and for the families, that they may grow strong and true in the Lord. We pray they will take take the children to church and Sunday School, and we pray the parents might also go themselves, and that the families might be blessed.
We had two overarching lessons that we taught in VBS this year -- "Jesus Saves!" and "Prayer is Important!" These are key messages of the Christian faith.
Jesus is the way of salvation. That is the reason why Jesus in all his teaching called his hearers to faith and repentance and urged them to embrace him as their Saviour. Jesus Christ is the only one who saves us from our sins. The call goes out: You need Christ as your Saviour. We hope that children and parents will respond to the call from Christ Jesus to believe in Him and so be saved.
Belief in Jesus opens the door to a rich and wonderful life in prayer. Prayer is so important for families. The family that prays together stays together. Children that learn to pray are made stronger each time they do it. Let us help the children to learn to pray and to pray on a regular basis.
What a wonderful beginning to what we expect to be a great summer! What an amazing week it was with the dear children and grandchildren who came to be with us! Water Works Park, the theme we used, was a great place to be in 2007! Our directors, three supremely gifted women, gave remarkable leadership. Our volunteers were loving and kind and caring. But it all was possible because the Lord has been with us, His Holy Spirit guiding and empowering us, and we are so very thankful for everything that happened in this place over the last four days.
It all starts for us with dedicated leaders and faithful volunteers. Our directors -– Mary, Dawn and Marcia -- are phenomenal – God has called them to this special ministry, and He helps them do a remarkable job each year. This is our county's largest Vacation Bible School because we join together as churches united for Christ, and we have dedicated people, called by God, who volunteer to help, to be part of our VBS family year after wonderful year.
And then we have Evelyn, who helps Mary lead the great VBS songs by playing the piano with great energy and precision. This year she was helped in the music by the wonderful “Splash Sisters” -- Renee and Ruth. And then there were all the teachers and guides and helpers – we are eternally grateful for each and every one of them. We had teachers coming in way early and staying hours later to plan and pray for the children. Their dedication brought tears to my eyes.
But we could not have this great time for the Lord without the help of the parents and guardians. They trusted us with their precious children and youth. We thank you for lending us these wonderful kids so that our staff could love them and teach them for the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a sacred thing to represent Jesus, and our staff tried to do a good job of that this week. Thanks to the parents so very much for helping the children to be part of VBS.
Now they go back to their families for additional loving and nurturing, as parents and grandparents do. Know that we will be praying for these children, and for the families, that they may grow strong and true in the Lord. We pray they will take take the children to church and Sunday School, and we pray the parents might also go themselves, and that the families might be blessed.
We had two overarching lessons that we taught in VBS this year -- "Jesus Saves!" and "Prayer is Important!" These are key messages of the Christian faith.
Jesus is the way of salvation. That is the reason why Jesus in all his teaching called his hearers to faith and repentance and urged them to embrace him as their Saviour. Jesus Christ is the only one who saves us from our sins. The call goes out: You need Christ as your Saviour. We hope that children and parents will respond to the call from Christ Jesus to believe in Him and so be saved.
Belief in Jesus opens the door to a rich and wonderful life in prayer. Prayer is so important for families. The family that prays together stays together. Children that learn to pray are made stronger each time they do it. Let us help the children to learn to pray and to pray on a regular basis.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
My God Will Supply All Your Needs
"Therefore don't be anxious, saying, "What will we eat?", "What will we drink?" or, "With what will we be clothed?" For the Gentiles seek after all these things, for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first God's Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore don't be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day's own evil is sufficient." (Matthew 6:31-34)
This is a promise from Jesus that if we seek God's kingdom, of which Jesus Christ is the head, He will supply our physical needs. Seeking first His kingdom, however, does not merely mean "asking God for something we think we need." It means that following His commandments will be the single top priority in your life. As Paul said, it involves making Him preeminent in all things.
David wrote of God's taking care of His children when he wrote in the Psalms: "I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging for bread."(Psalm 37:25)
I've seen the same thing today. I can't even count the number of times I've heard about families struggling with impossible financial situations, but when they decided to put God first and give to Him anyway, and trust Him as the SOURCE, things somehow worked out.
I have heard first hand amazing stories of missionaries and their adventures with finances and basic needs such as food. As they continue to seek His kingdom first, He always comes through with what they need. I pray He will do tha tfor you, too. Stand on the scriptural truth of Philippians 4:19: "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus!"
This is a promise from Jesus that if we seek God's kingdom, of which Jesus Christ is the head, He will supply our physical needs. Seeking first His kingdom, however, does not merely mean "asking God for something we think we need." It means that following His commandments will be the single top priority in your life. As Paul said, it involves making Him preeminent in all things.
David wrote of God's taking care of His children when he wrote in the Psalms: "I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging for bread."(Psalm 37:25)
I've seen the same thing today. I can't even count the number of times I've heard about families struggling with impossible financial situations, but when they decided to put God first and give to Him anyway, and trust Him as the SOURCE, things somehow worked out.
I have heard first hand amazing stories of missionaries and their adventures with finances and basic needs such as food. As they continue to seek His kingdom first, He always comes through with what they need. I pray He will do tha tfor you, too. Stand on the scriptural truth of Philippians 4:19: "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus!"
10 Things God Won't Ask on That Last Day
10 Things God Won't Ask On Judgment Day
1. God won't ask what kind of car you drove. He'll ask how many people did you drive to Church who didn't have transportation.
2. God won't ask the square footage of your house. He'll ask how many people did you invite into your home.
3. God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet. He'll ask how many did you help clothe.
4. God won't ask what your highest salary was. He'll ask if you compromised your character to get it.
5. God won't ask what your job title was. He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.
6. God won't ask about how popular you were. He'll ask how many people to were you a friend.
7. God won't ask about what neighborhood you were in. He'll ask if you were a good neighbor.
8. God won't ask about the color of your skin. He'll ask about the content of your character.
9. God won't ask about the things you didn't understand. He'll ask about how well you acted upon that which you did know.
10. God won't ask about why it took you so long to seek salvation. He'll lovingly take you in his arms and call you his child.
1. God won't ask what kind of car you drove. He'll ask how many people did you drive to Church who didn't have transportation.
2. God won't ask the square footage of your house. He'll ask how many people did you invite into your home.
3. God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet. He'll ask how many did you help clothe.
4. God won't ask what your highest salary was. He'll ask if you compromised your character to get it.
5. God won't ask what your job title was. He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.
6. God won't ask about how popular you were. He'll ask how many people to were you a friend.
7. God won't ask about what neighborhood you were in. He'll ask if you were a good neighbor.
8. God won't ask about the color of your skin. He'll ask about the content of your character.
9. God won't ask about the things you didn't understand. He'll ask about how well you acted upon that which you did know.
10. God won't ask about why it took you so long to seek salvation. He'll lovingly take you in his arms and call you his child.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Seeking His Face Always!
One of the joys of being in a doctoral program at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary is that I am forced to read some wonderful books I might not otherwise read. Such is the exceptional book: The Spirit of Early Christian Thought: Seeking the Face of God by Robert Louis Wilken. Dr. Wilken takes us back to the early days of the Christian church, to the days of the early church fathers, and it is a remarkale journey of rediscovering their faith and commitment to Christ.
The very chapter titles tell of the joys of this scholarly, but very readable, work:
1. Founded on the Cross of Christ 2. An Awesome and Unbloody Sacrifice 3. The Face of God for Now 4. Seek His Face Always 5. Not My Will But Thine 6. The End Given in the Beginning 7. The Reasonableness of the Faith 8. Happy the People Whose God is the Lord 9. The Glorious Deeds of Christ 10. Making This Thing Other 11. Likeness to God 12. The Knowledge of Sensible Things
He writes: "The intellectual tradition that began in the early Church was enriched by the philosophical breadth and exactitude of medieval thought. Each period in Christian history makes its own unique contribution to Christian life. The Church Fathers, however, set in place a foundation that has proven to be irreplaceable. Their writings are more than a stage in the development of Christian thought or an interesting chapter in the history of the interpretation of the Bible. Like an inexhaustible spring, faithful and true, they irrigate the Christian imagination with life-giving water flowing from the biblical and spiritual sources of the faith. They are still our teachers today."
Wilken shows that Christianity dramatically influenced the Greek-laced culture of the early days. It was Christianity that radically transformed the secular world, not the other way around. Christianity is a religion, a way of committed life, not a philosophy. It stresses love, compassion, service in the world, and worship. Wilken shows how the early Christians loved God in many aspects of their lives.
He takes his subtitle from a verse in the Psalms, Psalm 105:4: ''Seek his face always.'' When we intentionally seek to do this, God becomes part of each minute, not just a few minutes each week. May we also continually seek the face of God.
The very chapter titles tell of the joys of this scholarly, but very readable, work:
1. Founded on the Cross of Christ 2. An Awesome and Unbloody Sacrifice 3. The Face of God for Now 4. Seek His Face Always 5. Not My Will But Thine 6. The End Given in the Beginning 7. The Reasonableness of the Faith 8. Happy the People Whose God is the Lord 9. The Glorious Deeds of Christ 10. Making This Thing Other 11. Likeness to God 12. The Knowledge of Sensible Things
He writes: "The intellectual tradition that began in the early Church was enriched by the philosophical breadth and exactitude of medieval thought. Each period in Christian history makes its own unique contribution to Christian life. The Church Fathers, however, set in place a foundation that has proven to be irreplaceable. Their writings are more than a stage in the development of Christian thought or an interesting chapter in the history of the interpretation of the Bible. Like an inexhaustible spring, faithful and true, they irrigate the Christian imagination with life-giving water flowing from the biblical and spiritual sources of the faith. They are still our teachers today."
Wilken shows that Christianity dramatically influenced the Greek-laced culture of the early days. It was Christianity that radically transformed the secular world, not the other way around. Christianity is a religion, a way of committed life, not a philosophy. It stresses love, compassion, service in the world, and worship. Wilken shows how the early Christians loved God in many aspects of their lives.
He takes his subtitle from a verse in the Psalms, Psalm 105:4: ''Seek his face always.'' When we intentionally seek to do this, God becomes part of each minute, not just a few minutes each week. May we also continually seek the face of God.
Learnng from St. Francis of Assisi
"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible."
This is a saying of Francis of Assisi, a man devoted to God and immersed in the Holy Spirit. St. Francis of Assisi was born Giovanni "Francesco" Bernardone into a wealthy Italian merchant family in 1181. As a youth, he was known for carousing. On his way to the Crusades, in full armor, he had a dream in which God told him to build up his crumbling church.
Later, in a dramatic moment of prayer in the abandoned Church of San Damiano, he heard a voice coming from the crucifix which challenged him to rebuild the church. At first he thought it meant that he should rebuild San Damiano. Gradually, Francis realized that God meant that he should "rebuild" the Church at large. From that moment he learned that living a Christian life would place him in opposition to the values of his society and set him apart from family and friends and many of his own age.
He became a charismatic penitent. He took a vow of poverty and began traveling, preaching, and working to help the sick and the poor. A group formed around him, becoming the Franciscan order.
At first Francis sought to live a life of solitude and prayer. Within a few years he came to see God was calling him to give new momentum to a movement already present among the Christian faithful, a life of conversion - the challenge to LIVE the Gospels in his daily life. Francis found that other men of Assisi were attracted to the same vision - to follow Christ and His Apostles. Soon there grew a small commune which settled on the outskirts of a town near the abandoned Church of Our Lady of the Angels. Here a new Order in the Church was born. Today it is known as the Franciscan Order.
Before Francis died in 1226 at the age of 44, he founded three Orders. His gift to humankind was his love of God as he experienced Him in all of His creation. His legacy lives on in those Christians today who seek to inspire in themselves and others the ideals of peace and justice of the gospels, and to live the Spirit-filled and Spirit-led life.
There is much we can learn from studying the life of Francis and his deep devotion to God and his rich love for others.
This is a saying of Francis of Assisi, a man devoted to God and immersed in the Holy Spirit. St. Francis of Assisi was born Giovanni "Francesco" Bernardone into a wealthy Italian merchant family in 1181. As a youth, he was known for carousing. On his way to the Crusades, in full armor, he had a dream in which God told him to build up his crumbling church.
Later, in a dramatic moment of prayer in the abandoned Church of San Damiano, he heard a voice coming from the crucifix which challenged him to rebuild the church. At first he thought it meant that he should rebuild San Damiano. Gradually, Francis realized that God meant that he should "rebuild" the Church at large. From that moment he learned that living a Christian life would place him in opposition to the values of his society and set him apart from family and friends and many of his own age.
He became a charismatic penitent. He took a vow of poverty and began traveling, preaching, and working to help the sick and the poor. A group formed around him, becoming the Franciscan order.
At first Francis sought to live a life of solitude and prayer. Within a few years he came to see God was calling him to give new momentum to a movement already present among the Christian faithful, a life of conversion - the challenge to LIVE the Gospels in his daily life. Francis found that other men of Assisi were attracted to the same vision - to follow Christ and His Apostles. Soon there grew a small commune which settled on the outskirts of a town near the abandoned Church of Our Lady of the Angels. Here a new Order in the Church was born. Today it is known as the Franciscan Order.
Before Francis died in 1226 at the age of 44, he founded three Orders. His gift to humankind was his love of God as he experienced Him in all of His creation. His legacy lives on in those Christians today who seek to inspire in themselves and others the ideals of peace and justice of the gospels, and to live the Spirit-filled and Spirit-led life.
There is much we can learn from studying the life of Francis and his deep devotion to God and his rich love for others.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
A Prophetic Message From Columbine
A friend shared with me the powerful words of Daryl Scott, father of slain Columbine High student Rachel Scott, who died proclaiming her faith in Jesus Christ. Daryl Scott, like a prophet of old, points us to check our own hearts and minds as we pray for our families, our churches, our communsiteis, our country and the world:
'Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.
'The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart.
'In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent.
I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best. This was written way before I knew I would be speaking here today:
Your laws ignore our deepest needs, Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage, You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms, And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere, And ask the question 'Why?'
You regulate restrictive laws, Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand, That God is what we need!
'Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.
'As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999 , at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA -- I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone!
'My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen" -- Daryl Scott, father of slain student Rachel Scott
'Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.
'The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart.
'In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent.
I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best. This was written way before I knew I would be speaking here today:
Your laws ignore our deepest needs, Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage, You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms, And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere, And ask the question 'Why?'
You regulate restrictive laws, Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand, That God is what we need!
'Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.
'As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999 , at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA -- I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone!
'My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen" -- Daryl Scott, father of slain student Rachel Scott
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Reading is a Wonderful Gift!
Curling up with a book can be a wonderful thing. You can take wonderful journeys of thousands of miles without leaving your chair. Through the power of words and imagination, you can lose yourself into a whole new world. So we also know exactly what Gustave Flaubert was trying to say when he exclaimed, "Read in order to live'. And don't we all want to live, and not just exist?
I was exposed to books at a very young age, and I have always loved reading. In the fourth grade I purposed to read the World Book Encyclopedia all the way through, all 22 volumes. I did it by the middle of my fifth grade year. It is amazing what you can do when you set your mind to it, and what you can do a piece at a time, step by step.
Recently, a doctoral program has forced me back into the wonderful world of words. It is a great joy once again. And it is a sublime pleasure to read the Bible, God’s set aside Word for the world! The Bible underlines the power of our words. Reading God’s words is a powerful thing. Saying and declaring them into our prayers and lives is even more transformative. Let His words become your words, from the inside out. Praise God from whom all blessings – and the blessings of words – flow!
I was exposed to books at a very young age, and I have always loved reading. In the fourth grade I purposed to read the World Book Encyclopedia all the way through, all 22 volumes. I did it by the middle of my fifth grade year. It is amazing what you can do when you set your mind to it, and what you can do a piece at a time, step by step.
Recently, a doctoral program has forced me back into the wonderful world of words. It is a great joy once again. And it is a sublime pleasure to read the Bible, God’s set aside Word for the world! The Bible underlines the power of our words. Reading God’s words is a powerful thing. Saying and declaring them into our prayers and lives is even more transformative. Let His words become your words, from the inside out. Praise God from whom all blessings – and the blessings of words – flow!
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Be Healed in the Name of Jesus Christ!
God is doing a new thing. A new wave is coming – and I want to catch that wave. I want our whole church to catch that wave. I want all of Burt and Kossuth County to catch that wave.
It means we need to prepare ourselves even more faithfully for God’s service. We need to get rid of any pettiness or jealousy or hatred. We need to reject racism and greed and immorality. We need to hate sin and love God. We need to trust and obey our Jesus Christ and make Him both our Lord and Savior. Getting lined up and ready for the spiritual battle ahead is our duty. Get in the Word and get out of the world. The last days are here. Get yourself in gear.
And God wants to make us strong, to make us whole. He offers us healing and wholeness in Jesus Christ. The promises of the Bible are ours as children of the living God. But we must stand on those promises.
The word sozo, in the Greek, means salvation, but in a total sense – mind body and soul – total healing, complete wholeness. That is what God has for you. Because our Father desires that we be whole spirit, soul, and body, understanding our covenant is the answer to being able to appropriate the blessing of Divine Health. Indeed, our healing, both spiritual and physical, comes from looking to and identifying with the crucified and resurrected Christ “by whose stripes we were healed.” Have faith in that! Have faith in God!
In Exodus 15:26, Scripture records, "If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you."
“Heals” means to cure, heal, repair, mend, and restore health. Its participial form rophe, one who heals, is the Hebrew word for a doctor. The main idea of the word rapha is physical healing
Healing is a beautiful word. Our health is a gift from God – and our returning to health from sickness is also a gift from God. In our day we have been given doctors and nurses and the science of medicine to help us to have health.
We are reminded of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the many miracles of healing he performed during his ministry here on earth. Jesus is always the healer, no matter how we are healed.
Do you think of the loved ones and friends you've known -- perhaps people of strong faith -- who nevertheless succumbed to some dreadful sickness which claimed their lives? Do you remember praying for those loved ones, and wondering why those prayers seemed to go unanswered? It is when our wants seem to come against the larger plan of God that we do not completely understand. But it happens.
Still, we are encouraged to pray for healing and trust that God knows what is best for us. Often – and I think much more often in coming months and years – we will find that healing is the will of God for us!
It means we need to prepare ourselves even more faithfully for God’s service. We need to get rid of any pettiness or jealousy or hatred. We need to reject racism and greed and immorality. We need to hate sin and love God. We need to trust and obey our Jesus Christ and make Him both our Lord and Savior. Getting lined up and ready for the spiritual battle ahead is our duty. Get in the Word and get out of the world. The last days are here. Get yourself in gear.
And God wants to make us strong, to make us whole. He offers us healing and wholeness in Jesus Christ. The promises of the Bible are ours as children of the living God. But we must stand on those promises.
The word sozo, in the Greek, means salvation, but in a total sense – mind body and soul – total healing, complete wholeness. That is what God has for you. Because our Father desires that we be whole spirit, soul, and body, understanding our covenant is the answer to being able to appropriate the blessing of Divine Health. Indeed, our healing, both spiritual and physical, comes from looking to and identifying with the crucified and resurrected Christ “by whose stripes we were healed.” Have faith in that! Have faith in God!
In Exodus 15:26, Scripture records, "If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you."
“Heals” means to cure, heal, repair, mend, and restore health. Its participial form rophe, one who heals, is the Hebrew word for a doctor. The main idea of the word rapha is physical healing
Healing is a beautiful word. Our health is a gift from God – and our returning to health from sickness is also a gift from God. In our day we have been given doctors and nurses and the science of medicine to help us to have health.
We are reminded of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the many miracles of healing he performed during his ministry here on earth. Jesus is always the healer, no matter how we are healed.
Do you think of the loved ones and friends you've known -- perhaps people of strong faith -- who nevertheless succumbed to some dreadful sickness which claimed their lives? Do you remember praying for those loved ones, and wondering why those prayers seemed to go unanswered? It is when our wants seem to come against the larger plan of God that we do not completely understand. But it happens.
Still, we are encouraged to pray for healing and trust that God knows what is best for us. Often – and I think much more often in coming months and years – we will find that healing is the will of God for us!
Thursday, May 10, 2007
I Saw a Miracle Yesterday
I saw a miracle yesterday. I saw a newborn baby.
What an amazing miracle the birth of a baby is! The little baby boy I saw was the son of one of our young women in the congregation. He is a healthy 8 pound, nine ounce bundle of joy. He may be only 20 inches long now, but he is really big in the hearts of his mother and his family. His mom was beaming with the glow only the mother of a newborn baby can possess. The two of them together were a beautiful picture of health and life.
Seeing a newborn baby is a wonderful experience. Babies are precious and they underscore for us the sacredness of life. Life is important to God and should be important to us. Human life is pronounced sacred by God because it is made in His image. God's character goes into the creation of every person. Human life is made by God and valuable to Him. Listen to these two familiar verses:
(Jer 1:5) "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
(Psalm 139:13-16) For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. (14) I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (15) My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, (16) your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
It is God Who made us and gave us life.
And the wonderful thing is that God has a plan for every human life, for every little baby. That plan includes life and not death. You know the well-known words of Jeremiah:
(Jer 29:11) "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
I believe those words, originally spoken by the prophet for the Hebrew people, also reveal God's care and love of us through Jesus Christ, as witnessed by the revelations of the New Testament.
The womb of a mother is not just a blob of flesh -- it is a sacred place, for it is where humans become partners with God in the creation of human beings. And from the fist moments at conception, the baby is not just a fetus; it is not just potential human life. It is a baby. It is a living human being. Consider that:
At 18 days ... the baby's heart begins to beat.
At 40 days ... brain waves can be detected.
At 56 days ... the baby responds to touch.
At 77 days ... the baby has fingerprints.
At 98 days ... the baby can hear.
During the entire time in the womb the miracle of life is happening, not just at birth. A baby's life is precious to God. A baby's life is important to God. God has as much a plan for a baby's life as He has for you or me. The baby, like us, is made in God's image. God's character went into the baby's creation.
All life is precious to God. You never know what promise and power God has in store for a baby's life. His plans are often not indicated by how the baby was born or under what circumstances the baby came into the world. Consider that our Savior was born under questionable conditions in a stable.
Or consider the following. There’s a preacher and wife who are very poor. They already have fourteen children. Now she finds out she’s pregnant with the fifteenth. They’re living in tremendous poverty. Considering the economic implications of another child, would you recommend the woman get an abortion? If you would, you would have killed John Wesley, one of the greatest evangelists in the history of the church.
Or consider this situation from the past -- The father is sickly, the mother has tuberculosis. They’ve had four children. The first is blind, the second is dead, the third is deaf and the fourth has tuberculosis, like his mother. The woman finds out she’s pregnant again. Given the extreme situation, would you consider recommending an abortion? If you would, you would have killed Ludwig von Beethoven, one of the greatest composers of all time. Or consider this. A white man raped a thirteen-year-old black girl and she got pregnant. If you were her parents, would you consider recommending an abortion? If you would, you would have killed Ethel Waters, the black gospel singer who ministered to millions of people around the globe with Billy Graham. All life is precious to God.
What about babies with special needs? Well, the Bible assures all life is important, and human life especially. No one created in the image of God is less valued by God than anyone else. Every person, special needs or not, is precious in God’s sight. Just because society places a higher value on people without special needs does not mean that God has the same perspective. When God creates a person, he creates that person to accomplish his divine purposes. Keep in mind that God’s purposes may not be the same as our purposes. All life is precious to God.
Yes, the little baby I saw yesterday is a miracle. Praise God for babies and the promise of life!
What an amazing miracle the birth of a baby is! The little baby boy I saw was the son of one of our young women in the congregation. He is a healthy 8 pound, nine ounce bundle of joy. He may be only 20 inches long now, but he is really big in the hearts of his mother and his family. His mom was beaming with the glow only the mother of a newborn baby can possess. The two of them together were a beautiful picture of health and life.
Seeing a newborn baby is a wonderful experience. Babies are precious and they underscore for us the sacredness of life. Life is important to God and should be important to us. Human life is pronounced sacred by God because it is made in His image. God's character goes into the creation of every person. Human life is made by God and valuable to Him. Listen to these two familiar verses:
(Jer 1:5) "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
(Psalm 139:13-16) For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. (14) I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (15) My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, (16) your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
It is God Who made us and gave us life.
And the wonderful thing is that God has a plan for every human life, for every little baby. That plan includes life and not death. You know the well-known words of Jeremiah:
(Jer 29:11) "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
I believe those words, originally spoken by the prophet for the Hebrew people, also reveal God's care and love of us through Jesus Christ, as witnessed by the revelations of the New Testament.
The womb of a mother is not just a blob of flesh -- it is a sacred place, for it is where humans become partners with God in the creation of human beings. And from the fist moments at conception, the baby is not just a fetus; it is not just potential human life. It is a baby. It is a living human being. Consider that:
At 18 days ... the baby's heart begins to beat.
At 40 days ... brain waves can be detected.
At 56 days ... the baby responds to touch.
At 77 days ... the baby has fingerprints.
At 98 days ... the baby can hear.
During the entire time in the womb the miracle of life is happening, not just at birth. A baby's life is precious to God. A baby's life is important to God. God has as much a plan for a baby's life as He has for you or me. The baby, like us, is made in God's image. God's character went into the baby's creation.
All life is precious to God. You never know what promise and power God has in store for a baby's life. His plans are often not indicated by how the baby was born or under what circumstances the baby came into the world. Consider that our Savior was born under questionable conditions in a stable.
Or consider the following. There’s a preacher and wife who are very poor. They already have fourteen children. Now she finds out she’s pregnant with the fifteenth. They’re living in tremendous poverty. Considering the economic implications of another child, would you recommend the woman get an abortion? If you would, you would have killed John Wesley, one of the greatest evangelists in the history of the church.
Or consider this situation from the past -- The father is sickly, the mother has tuberculosis. They’ve had four children. The first is blind, the second is dead, the third is deaf and the fourth has tuberculosis, like his mother. The woman finds out she’s pregnant again. Given the extreme situation, would you consider recommending an abortion? If you would, you would have killed Ludwig von Beethoven, one of the greatest composers of all time. Or consider this. A white man raped a thirteen-year-old black girl and she got pregnant. If you were her parents, would you consider recommending an abortion? If you would, you would have killed Ethel Waters, the black gospel singer who ministered to millions of people around the globe with Billy Graham. All life is precious to God.
What about babies with special needs? Well, the Bible assures all life is important, and human life especially. No one created in the image of God is less valued by God than anyone else. Every person, special needs or not, is precious in God’s sight. Just because society places a higher value on people without special needs does not mean that God has the same perspective. When God creates a person, he creates that person to accomplish his divine purposes. Keep in mind that God’s purposes may not be the same as our purposes. All life is precious to God.
Yes, the little baby I saw yesterday is a miracle. Praise God for babies and the promise of life!
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Memories of Chief John Hawk
John Hawk died on Monday. He was only 51.
He was promoted to glory, but he leaves grieving children and family and many friends. I was one of them, and I am very sad to hear of his passing. Don't get me wrong -- he was a believer and he knew where he was going. He is with the Lord. But the world is a little bit poorer without John Hawk in it. He was a good man.
He was the police chief of Roy, Washington, and had been for a number of years. He was a dedicated lawman, someone you could depend upon. He always tried to do the right thing, and he always had a heart for people. He was a policeman who cared deeply for his fellow men and women. His Christian training guided him in how he carried out his job.
I knew John as the Police Chief in Kake, Alaska. With the substance abuse problems of many of our residents in Kake, his job was a tough one. But he tried to do his best. We had a few adventures together during that time. There were times when he would arrest folks for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct, and, later, after they had sobered up a bit, I would go up to the village jail and see John and pray with the person in the cell. He always hoped the alcoholic could kick their habit, and sometimes they did. No doubt,it was a struggle to be the police chief a little village with pronounced substance addiction problems. But John was always seeking ways to help, and during his time in Kake some wonderful things were begun by the people.
When we formed the Healing Heart Council in Kake, a group of concerned citizens to promote healthy living and good choices in the village, John was there, helping to work for early warnings of problems and prevention of then before they festered into something worse. When Magistrate Mike Jackson and a group of us began Circle Peacemaking as a way of alternative dispute resolution, John gave it his blessing and did his best to support it. He wanted what was best for the people.
John was adopted into the great Tlingit nation, given a name that had belonged to legendary Tlingit Christian leader Daniel Paul. John cherished his adoption and his connection to the Native Alaskan people of Kake. He moved away for a better career opportunity in Roy, Washington, but I am sure that a part of his heart always stayed in Kake.
One night I will always remember was a night in the late nineties when a particularly violent storm hit the Alexander Archipelago on the Inside Passage of Alaska. It was one that boasted winds up to 136 miles per hour, sheering trees off at their trunks and tearing roofs off houses, yet it got no airplay in the lower 48, as was par for the course.
Still, this monstrous storm hit Kake with much sound and shock and fury, and the little cabin manse we were living in shook so much we thought it might be blown off its foundation. Siding was torn from the walls of the Kake Memorial church where I was the pastor. The wind was furious, and my wife and I, with two childrn under five, prayed to take away our fear.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door, in the hundred mile and hour winds. We opened in and shards of rain blew inside, seeming to cut our faces. There was John, the police chief, all wet in his rain gear. Some roofs had been ripped off people's homes, and he was opening the village gymnasium as a shelter. Since I was the Red Cross contact, I had some cots and blankets in the basement of the church. He wanted us to load them in his SUV so he could take them down to the gymnasium.
So we stumbled out into the wind. I weighed 290 and John was somewhere closer to 200, but both of us were big men, over six feet and pretty strong. Yet the wind was so hard to walk in, we had to bow down. Then, when I was taking a cot in my hands out of the church basement, a big gust actually picked me off the ground, like a kite, and carried me several feet in the air toward the raging ocean thirty yards away.
After that we both crawled with the cost to his SUV. My wife came out to help and she crawled, too. Later, as I carried blankets down in our van, the van actually moved across the road from the force of a titanic wind gust. What a night it was. But through it all John was the faithful policeman, putting his life on the line to serve the people. That was the kind of guy he was.
And he had great compassion for the ones beset by addictions to alcohol and drugs, even as he fought the scourge that addiction puts on our society. He always had a heart for kids. I will never forget how he reached out to kids at Halloween. I can remember a time, early in our time in Kake, when John and kathy had a great time giving out candy to all the village kids and youth at the police station. And he did many other things to reach out to the kids. Every year, John had remarkable programs for the young people in high school to realize how important life was and how we need to be careful with the lives and the friends God has given us.
Oh, John was not perfect, (as none of us are!), but he was a good man. And he will be missed. There are other stories I could tell -- of his starring in a church play we did called "The Death of a Church," (it was his idea), and of his breaking his leg while enforcing the law in a fight with an evil doer, and of other times of putting his life on the line for the good of the people of the village.
John had an innate sense of compassion and that made a world of difference. Earlier in his life he had served as an officer in the Salvation Army, and he knew his Bible, and we had some good discussions. But the fact that he cared about people in a deep way is what I will remember most about John Hawk.
I pray for his dear children and family. I pray for the many people who will remember him fondly. On this day I remember John Hawk with a tear in my eye and thankfulness in my heart. He was a blessing to us, and we will never forget him.
He was promoted to glory, but he leaves grieving children and family and many friends. I was one of them, and I am very sad to hear of his passing. Don't get me wrong -- he was a believer and he knew where he was going. He is with the Lord. But the world is a little bit poorer without John Hawk in it. He was a good man.
He was the police chief of Roy, Washington, and had been for a number of years. He was a dedicated lawman, someone you could depend upon. He always tried to do the right thing, and he always had a heart for people. He was a policeman who cared deeply for his fellow men and women. His Christian training guided him in how he carried out his job.
I knew John as the Police Chief in Kake, Alaska. With the substance abuse problems of many of our residents in Kake, his job was a tough one. But he tried to do his best. We had a few adventures together during that time. There were times when he would arrest folks for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct, and, later, after they had sobered up a bit, I would go up to the village jail and see John and pray with the person in the cell. He always hoped the alcoholic could kick their habit, and sometimes they did. No doubt,it was a struggle to be the police chief a little village with pronounced substance addiction problems. But John was always seeking ways to help, and during his time in Kake some wonderful things were begun by the people.
When we formed the Healing Heart Council in Kake, a group of concerned citizens to promote healthy living and good choices in the village, John was there, helping to work for early warnings of problems and prevention of then before they festered into something worse. When Magistrate Mike Jackson and a group of us began Circle Peacemaking as a way of alternative dispute resolution, John gave it his blessing and did his best to support it. He wanted what was best for the people.
John was adopted into the great Tlingit nation, given a name that had belonged to legendary Tlingit Christian leader Daniel Paul. John cherished his adoption and his connection to the Native Alaskan people of Kake. He moved away for a better career opportunity in Roy, Washington, but I am sure that a part of his heart always stayed in Kake.
One night I will always remember was a night in the late nineties when a particularly violent storm hit the Alexander Archipelago on the Inside Passage of Alaska. It was one that boasted winds up to 136 miles per hour, sheering trees off at their trunks and tearing roofs off houses, yet it got no airplay in the lower 48, as was par for the course.
Still, this monstrous storm hit Kake with much sound and shock and fury, and the little cabin manse we were living in shook so much we thought it might be blown off its foundation. Siding was torn from the walls of the Kake Memorial church where I was the pastor. The wind was furious, and my wife and I, with two childrn under five, prayed to take away our fear.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door, in the hundred mile and hour winds. We opened in and shards of rain blew inside, seeming to cut our faces. There was John, the police chief, all wet in his rain gear. Some roofs had been ripped off people's homes, and he was opening the village gymnasium as a shelter. Since I was the Red Cross contact, I had some cots and blankets in the basement of the church. He wanted us to load them in his SUV so he could take them down to the gymnasium.
So we stumbled out into the wind. I weighed 290 and John was somewhere closer to 200, but both of us were big men, over six feet and pretty strong. Yet the wind was so hard to walk in, we had to bow down. Then, when I was taking a cot in my hands out of the church basement, a big gust actually picked me off the ground, like a kite, and carried me several feet in the air toward the raging ocean thirty yards away.
After that we both crawled with the cost to his SUV. My wife came out to help and she crawled, too. Later, as I carried blankets down in our van, the van actually moved across the road from the force of a titanic wind gust. What a night it was. But through it all John was the faithful policeman, putting his life on the line to serve the people. That was the kind of guy he was.
And he had great compassion for the ones beset by addictions to alcohol and drugs, even as he fought the scourge that addiction puts on our society. He always had a heart for kids. I will never forget how he reached out to kids at Halloween. I can remember a time, early in our time in Kake, when John and kathy had a great time giving out candy to all the village kids and youth at the police station. And he did many other things to reach out to the kids. Every year, John had remarkable programs for the young people in high school to realize how important life was and how we need to be careful with the lives and the friends God has given us.
Oh, John was not perfect, (as none of us are!), but he was a good man. And he will be missed. There are other stories I could tell -- of his starring in a church play we did called "The Death of a Church," (it was his idea), and of his breaking his leg while enforcing the law in a fight with an evil doer, and of other times of putting his life on the line for the good of the people of the village.
John had an innate sense of compassion and that made a world of difference. Earlier in his life he had served as an officer in the Salvation Army, and he knew his Bible, and we had some good discussions. But the fact that he cared about people in a deep way is what I will remember most about John Hawk.
I pray for his dear children and family. I pray for the many people who will remember him fondly. On this day I remember John Hawk with a tear in my eye and thankfulness in my heart. He was a blessing to us, and we will never forget him.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Eye Has Not Seen, Nor Ear Heard
Every great work in the Church begins with someone on their knees. Tap into the power of God through prayer. God is doing a new thing in our midst!
Dr. Dave Ullom points out to us that in I Chronicles 28:9 we read, “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you.” Do you ever long to hear God say, “I choose you,” to be assured that He has a plan for you. There are stories from the Bible that illustrate how God calls ordinary people out of their ordinary lives.
God chose Noah simply because He lived a righteous life. Genesis 6:8 tells us, “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” God chose David simply because He saw His heart. Psalm 78:70 & 73 tells us, “He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens;… And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.” God chose Mary because of her heart.
Luke 1:30 tells us, “But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.’” None of these people held lofty positions or had received worldly acclaim. They were “nobodies” to the world- nothing special- and yet God saw their character, their right choices, and their hearts. They were very special to God. And He said, “You’re the one."
In Mark 5:21-34, Jesus is walking with a crowd of people, all pressing in on Him, hungry for His attention, His healing, His words. Verse 24 tells us that the crowd “pressed around him.” I imagine people desperate for even a small piece of Him. Only one woman, however, pressed in such a way that it caused Him to stop and turn to her. Her touch was different from all the rest. She didn’t just touch Him with her hands, but with her heart of faith. He felt the difference as she was healed.
God wants those people whose hearts are desperate for Him. He wants to heal, strengthen, and equip you. He isn’t looking for the worthy, the intelligent, or the beautiful people. He is looking for the ordinary ones who are simply open to His invading presence in their lives. If He is calling you right now, don’t convince yourself that He isn’t. God sees you, just as you are, and He knows the ones He calls. He has a plan for you (Jer. 29:11).
Pray for 5 people for 5 months 5 minutes a day. We preached about it awhile back. If you have been doing it, keep it up. If you have not been doing it, please start. Think of five unchurched people and pray for them daily. 5 for 5 for 5! is a powerful plan. May each of us do it. In Jesus name!
I have been told by many people, in our church and out of our church, that God is moving in our county and this church will play a key role in what He is doing. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV This not just about heaven. It is also about the near future in this church and community! In these last times, a new wave is coming! Let us catch that mighty wave of God!
Dr. Dave Ullom points out to us that in I Chronicles 28:9 we read, “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you.” Do you ever long to hear God say, “I choose you,” to be assured that He has a plan for you. There are stories from the Bible that illustrate how God calls ordinary people out of their ordinary lives.
God chose Noah simply because He lived a righteous life. Genesis 6:8 tells us, “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” God chose David simply because He saw His heart. Psalm 78:70 & 73 tells us, “He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens;… And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.” God chose Mary because of her heart.
Luke 1:30 tells us, “But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.’” None of these people held lofty positions or had received worldly acclaim. They were “nobodies” to the world- nothing special- and yet God saw their character, their right choices, and their hearts. They were very special to God. And He said, “You’re the one."
In Mark 5:21-34, Jesus is walking with a crowd of people, all pressing in on Him, hungry for His attention, His healing, His words. Verse 24 tells us that the crowd “pressed around him.” I imagine people desperate for even a small piece of Him. Only one woman, however, pressed in such a way that it caused Him to stop and turn to her. Her touch was different from all the rest. She didn’t just touch Him with her hands, but with her heart of faith. He felt the difference as she was healed.
God wants those people whose hearts are desperate for Him. He wants to heal, strengthen, and equip you. He isn’t looking for the worthy, the intelligent, or the beautiful people. He is looking for the ordinary ones who are simply open to His invading presence in their lives. If He is calling you right now, don’t convince yourself that He isn’t. God sees you, just as you are, and He knows the ones He calls. He has a plan for you (Jer. 29:11).
Pray for 5 people for 5 months 5 minutes a day. We preached about it awhile back. If you have been doing it, keep it up. If you have not been doing it, please start. Think of five unchurched people and pray for them daily. 5 for 5 for 5! is a powerful plan. May each of us do it. In Jesus name!
I have been told by many people, in our church and out of our church, that God is moving in our county and this church will play a key role in what He is doing. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV This not just about heaven. It is also about the near future in this church and community! In these last times, a new wave is coming! Let us catch that mighty wave of God!
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
There is Great Power in Our Words
There is a great power in words. The Bible tells us so. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit" (Proverbs 18:21)
According to the Scriptures, the tongue has a power. Notice it says here, "the power of the tongue". Its obvious that the power referred to here is not the physical power of the tongue as a muscle, but the power of the words it produces. I've never heard of the word "tongue" used in relation to God Himself. Its a word used of human speech. So we can see that the Word of God is saying that our speech is tremendously important, powerful and significant. So much so that our words are a matter of life and death.
Jesus declared, "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment." (Matthew 12:36). "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:37). These declarations of Jesus Christ should cause us to sit up and take notice, and consider very carefully what kind of words are coming out of our mouths and why.
Without a doubt, we must be careful what we say. Idle words, and negative thoughts and spoken phrases can do a great deal of damage in the spiritual realm, but positive words and phrases based on the Bible and its promises will bring good results. The choice is before us and the advice is clear: SPEAK LIFE! SPEAK WORDS IN LINE WITH THE ULTIMATE TRUTH -- THE WORD OF GOD!
According to the Scriptures, the tongue has a power. Notice it says here, "the power of the tongue". Its obvious that the power referred to here is not the physical power of the tongue as a muscle, but the power of the words it produces. I've never heard of the word "tongue" used in relation to God Himself. Its a word used of human speech. So we can see that the Word of God is saying that our speech is tremendously important, powerful and significant. So much so that our words are a matter of life and death.
Jesus declared, "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment." (Matthew 12:36). "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:37). These declarations of Jesus Christ should cause us to sit up and take notice, and consider very carefully what kind of words are coming out of our mouths and why.
Without a doubt, we must be careful what we say. Idle words, and negative thoughts and spoken phrases can do a great deal of damage in the spiritual realm, but positive words and phrases based on the Bible and its promises will bring good results. The choice is before us and the advice is clear: SPEAK LIFE! SPEAK WORDS IN LINE WITH THE ULTIMATE TRUTH -- THE WORD OF GOD!
Monday, April 23, 2007
The Power of Our Prayers
"Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests . . . Be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:18
"God gives us the Spirit as our teacher in prayer, to tell us what is right and to temper our emotions. We should seek such aid of the Spirit." John Calvin
"Prayer is an art which only the Holy Spirit can teach us. He is the giver of all prayer." C.H. Spurgeon
"There is no man, nor church in the world, that can come to God in prayer, but by the assistance of the Holy Spirit." John Bunyan
James 5:16 tells us, ‘‘The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." There is power in our prayers!
Praise God that the Holy Spirit will help us in our prayers if we ask him for help. He will give us words, both of understanding and in the Spirit, if we ask Him to help us pray. Make sure you ask the Spirit to help you pray. Great men and women of the faith like Calvin and Spurgeon and Bunyan attest the Spirit's loving assistance.
It also seems from the writing in James that there are three key elements that should constitute our prayer lives: We should pray properly, purposefully and persistently. When all three elements are a part of our prayer lives, our prayers are powerful and effective.
The first element of ‘‘effective, fervent prayer” is that we are to pray properly. The foundational purpose for prayer is not to ask for things — although we are told to do that,and we should do that — but to align ourselves with God’s will. We need to remember that prayer is for people, not God. God doesn’t need our prayers, but we need to pray to God if for no other reason than to remember that we are not He. One way we do that is by aligning our prayers and our requests with God's Word -- which expresses much of His will for our lives and situations. Prayer declares the truth of God into our lives and into the world. Praying the Scriptures, just as praying in the Spirit, aligns us with God and declares God's truth into the world.
The second element of effective, fervent prayer is to pray purposefully. God has told us that we are to ask for what we want; we are to be specific. Being specific and verbal about our desires helps us to put out on the table both our needs and our wants. Some of our presumed needs are likely to be seen as wants when we verbalize them, and this helps us to, once again, put things into proper perspective. Asking for what we think want and need doesn’t mean that we are going to get it, but it does allow us to be honest with ourselves before God. And we can be sure He will give us everything we truly need for life and ministry.
Finally, if we are to have an effective, fervent prayer life, we have to pray persistently. The apostle Paul tells us to pray without ceasing, and Jesus used the example of the ‘‘importuning widow” who continually came before the judge to ask for what she wanted until the judge gave in to her request. This doesn’t mean that we are going to be able to wear God down or browbeat Him into giving us what we want. What it does mean is that by praying persistently we will continually seek to align ourselves with God’s will. We are moving in the right direction for we see the light of the lighthouse of God's love. We are allowing His bit in our mouth's to guide us.
Human nature, being what it is, often leads us to think that we are responsible for all the good things that happen to us. Taking time in prayer to thank God for what He has done and to pull ourselves into alignment with His will put life into proper perspective for us. And so our prayer should reflect this just as Jesus’ prayer did: ‘‘Not my will but Thy will be done.” Again, we often find His will for us revealed in the Scriptures. There are many wonderful promises that show us His will. When we see Jesus in the Bible we see the Father and we see His love and caring for all humanity, including us! Praise the Lord!
"God gives us the Spirit as our teacher in prayer, to tell us what is right and to temper our emotions. We should seek such aid of the Spirit." John Calvin
"Prayer is an art which only the Holy Spirit can teach us. He is the giver of all prayer." C.H. Spurgeon
"There is no man, nor church in the world, that can come to God in prayer, but by the assistance of the Holy Spirit." John Bunyan
James 5:16 tells us, ‘‘The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." There is power in our prayers!
Praise God that the Holy Spirit will help us in our prayers if we ask him for help. He will give us words, both of understanding and in the Spirit, if we ask Him to help us pray. Make sure you ask the Spirit to help you pray. Great men and women of the faith like Calvin and Spurgeon and Bunyan attest the Spirit's loving assistance.
It also seems from the writing in James that there are three key elements that should constitute our prayer lives: We should pray properly, purposefully and persistently. When all three elements are a part of our prayer lives, our prayers are powerful and effective.
The first element of ‘‘effective, fervent prayer” is that we are to pray properly. The foundational purpose for prayer is not to ask for things — although we are told to do that,and we should do that — but to align ourselves with God’s will. We need to remember that prayer is for people, not God. God doesn’t need our prayers, but we need to pray to God if for no other reason than to remember that we are not He. One way we do that is by aligning our prayers and our requests with God's Word -- which expresses much of His will for our lives and situations. Prayer declares the truth of God into our lives and into the world. Praying the Scriptures, just as praying in the Spirit, aligns us with God and declares God's truth into the world.
The second element of effective, fervent prayer is to pray purposefully. God has told us that we are to ask for what we want; we are to be specific. Being specific and verbal about our desires helps us to put out on the table both our needs and our wants. Some of our presumed needs are likely to be seen as wants when we verbalize them, and this helps us to, once again, put things into proper perspective. Asking for what we think want and need doesn’t mean that we are going to get it, but it does allow us to be honest with ourselves before God. And we can be sure He will give us everything we truly need for life and ministry.
Finally, if we are to have an effective, fervent prayer life, we have to pray persistently. The apostle Paul tells us to pray without ceasing, and Jesus used the example of the ‘‘importuning widow” who continually came before the judge to ask for what she wanted until the judge gave in to her request. This doesn’t mean that we are going to be able to wear God down or browbeat Him into giving us what we want. What it does mean is that by praying persistently we will continually seek to align ourselves with God’s will. We are moving in the right direction for we see the light of the lighthouse of God's love. We are allowing His bit in our mouth's to guide us.
Human nature, being what it is, often leads us to think that we are responsible for all the good things that happen to us. Taking time in prayer to thank God for what He has done and to pull ourselves into alignment with His will put life into proper perspective for us. And so our prayer should reflect this just as Jesus’ prayer did: ‘‘Not my will but Thy will be done.” Again, we often find His will for us revealed in the Scriptures. There are many wonderful promises that show us His will. When we see Jesus in the Bible we see the Father and we see His love and caring for all humanity, including us! Praise the Lord!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The Horror and Tragedy of the Massacre in Virginia
Another portion of our continuing national nightmare of gun violence has unfolded once again. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the 32 massacred at Virginia Tech University and to their friends, and to all who live and work at Virginia Tech. What a terrible thing happened in Virginia yesterday morning. It brings back horrible memories of otehr school shootings, such as Columbine, and the Amish school massacre.
Why would the young Asian student Cho turn on the others and mow them down as if life meant nothing? Investigators are still struggling with many questions, including this one. Certainly, guns enable people to kill many others in one fell swoop. I am the owner of a shotgun and a pistol, and I am a former member of the National Rifle Association, so I see the need for guns for sport in our society. But,when one realizes that we lead all the countries in the world in gun violence, one must admit that something has gone awry in our culture.
According to Reuters News Agency, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, a staunch U.S. political ally, cited the tough gun laws in his country as a solution. Australia banned almost all types of semi-automatic weapons after a mass shooting in Tasmania in 1996.
"We showed a national resolve that the gun culture that is such a negative in the United States would never become a negative in our country," said Howard, extending sympathies to the families of the victims at Virginia Tech university.
More than 30,000 people die from firearms in the United States every year and there are more guns in private hands than in any other country. By comparison, there were 163 gun deaths in the United Kingdom in 2003, according to the latest figures from the campaign group Gun Control Network.
Why did he do it? Newsweek magazine, in an article posted online today, states that psychologists can say a few things with certainly about who is more likely to commit the most serious of crimes. Over 90 percent of killers are male, and the same holds for mass murderers—“I can’t think of a single case where a woman has done this,” says Louis Schlesinger, a professor of forensic psychology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.—partly because men tend to have more access to guns, which are usually the weapons of choice. The killers are usually somewhere between the ages of 25 and 35. They generally do not have previous histories of breaking the law in any serious way. And they are not, on the whole, psychopaths, although they are often identified in the media as such. “A psychopath is someone with little conscience, little interpersonal bonding, someone who’s smooth and manipulative," says Schlesinger. "That personality has nothing, zero, to do with mass murder."
Indeed, according to Newsweek, the personality type most often associated with mass murder is in some ways the opposite of a psychopath. He is far from cool-headed; instead, he is aggrieved, hurt, and above all paranoid. Some mass murderers may be trying to exercise power over a world that they feel has left them powerless. "These people often feel some great injustice has been done to them. They're angry and they want to take it out on the world," says Schlesinger. "Then they develop the idea that committing murder will be the solution to whatever their problem is, and they fixate on it. Eventually they come to feel that there's no other solution."
“Almost always [in school shootings], the perpetrator is a student who seeks revenge,” says Levin. In the most deadly college shooting in America before this week’s—a 1966 attack at the University of Texas that killed 16 and wounded 31—the perpetrator, Charles Whitman, had been a student and research assistant at UT. Some mass murderers, Jack Levin, a forensic psychologist at Northeastern University says, want to conduct "executions" of their classmates, as Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris did at Columbine High School. As for Cho and whatever had upset him, Levin says, "It was murder by proxy. I think he was trying to kill the college."
Hate is a horrible thing, authored by the father of lies. When hate is mixed with guns capable of firing at a rapid rate, it becomes a thing capable of causing a monstrous massacre. This is a very sad day for Virginia Tech, and all of America.
Why would the young Asian student Cho turn on the others and mow them down as if life meant nothing? Investigators are still struggling with many questions, including this one. Certainly, guns enable people to kill many others in one fell swoop. I am the owner of a shotgun and a pistol, and I am a former member of the National Rifle Association, so I see the need for guns for sport in our society. But,when one realizes that we lead all the countries in the world in gun violence, one must admit that something has gone awry in our culture.
According to Reuters News Agency, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, a staunch U.S. political ally, cited the tough gun laws in his country as a solution. Australia banned almost all types of semi-automatic weapons after a mass shooting in Tasmania in 1996.
"We showed a national resolve that the gun culture that is such a negative in the United States would never become a negative in our country," said Howard, extending sympathies to the families of the victims at Virginia Tech university.
More than 30,000 people die from firearms in the United States every year and there are more guns in private hands than in any other country. By comparison, there were 163 gun deaths in the United Kingdom in 2003, according to the latest figures from the campaign group Gun Control Network.
Why did he do it? Newsweek magazine, in an article posted online today, states that psychologists can say a few things with certainly about who is more likely to commit the most serious of crimes. Over 90 percent of killers are male, and the same holds for mass murderers—“I can’t think of a single case where a woman has done this,” says Louis Schlesinger, a professor of forensic psychology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.—partly because men tend to have more access to guns, which are usually the weapons of choice. The killers are usually somewhere between the ages of 25 and 35. They generally do not have previous histories of breaking the law in any serious way. And they are not, on the whole, psychopaths, although they are often identified in the media as such. “A psychopath is someone with little conscience, little interpersonal bonding, someone who’s smooth and manipulative," says Schlesinger. "That personality has nothing, zero, to do with mass murder."
Indeed, according to Newsweek, the personality type most often associated with mass murder is in some ways the opposite of a psychopath. He is far from cool-headed; instead, he is aggrieved, hurt, and above all paranoid. Some mass murderers may be trying to exercise power over a world that they feel has left them powerless. "These people often feel some great injustice has been done to them. They're angry and they want to take it out on the world," says Schlesinger. "Then they develop the idea that committing murder will be the solution to whatever their problem is, and they fixate on it. Eventually they come to feel that there's no other solution."
“Almost always [in school shootings], the perpetrator is a student who seeks revenge,” says Levin. In the most deadly college shooting in America before this week’s—a 1966 attack at the University of Texas that killed 16 and wounded 31—the perpetrator, Charles Whitman, had been a student and research assistant at UT. Some mass murderers, Jack Levin, a forensic psychologist at Northeastern University says, want to conduct "executions" of their classmates, as Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris did at Columbine High School. As for Cho and whatever had upset him, Levin says, "It was murder by proxy. I think he was trying to kill the college."
Hate is a horrible thing, authored by the father of lies. When hate is mixed with guns capable of firing at a rapid rate, it becomes a thing capable of causing a monstrous massacre. This is a very sad day for Virginia Tech, and all of America.
Monday, April 16, 2007
The Flag That Does Not Fly
This is the great Floral Flag. Between the fields where the flag is planted, there are 9+ miles of flower fields that go all the way to the ocean. The flowers are grown by seed companies. It's a beautiful place, close to Vandenberg AFB.! Check out the dimensions of the flag. The Floral Flag is 740 feet long and 390 feet wide and maintains the proper Flag dimensions, as described in Executive Order #10834. This Flag is 6.65 acres and is the first Floral Flag to be planted with 5 pointed Stars, comprised of White Larkspur. Each Star is 24 feet in diameter; each Stripe is 30 feet wide. This Flag is estimated to contain more than 400,000 Larkspur plants, with 4-5 flower stems each, for a total of more than 2 million flowers. Let us pray for our country, our leaders, our soldiers, and our diplomats. May a way to peace be found in Iraq so that our men and women can come home to their families.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Hard Hearts Thicken and Sicken Our Society
Hard hearts are a big problem in our world. They keep people from loving God and from loving each other. Hard hearts make walls that prevent reconciliation with God and each other, and growth in God.
One of the great heroes of the Christian faith is Francis of Assisi, who was given the recognition of sainthood by the Roman Catholic Church. Certainly, Francis modeled humility and faithfulness in such as way as to inspire us to follow Christ more closely. He preached against hard heartedness, and called on people to reach out to each other in service and love. He lived a life of humble, faithful service to Christ.
Francis is perhaps most famous for his blessing of animals and for affirming the animals as a reminder of our affinity for God’s creatures and creation. He saw all of God's creation as an interconnected blessing. I think St. Francis is an example of someone who was not plagued with meanness of spirit and hardness of heart, but rather had an open and willing heart, as we are called to have for the Lord. May the hard hearts become soft, molded by the Spirit.
There is a wonderful prayer attributed to St. Francis, a prayer that keeps your heart from becoming hard. It goes like this:
“Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
One of the great heroes of the Christian faith is Francis of Assisi, who was given the recognition of sainthood by the Roman Catholic Church. Certainly, Francis modeled humility and faithfulness in such as way as to inspire us to follow Christ more closely. He preached against hard heartedness, and called on people to reach out to each other in service and love. He lived a life of humble, faithful service to Christ.
Francis is perhaps most famous for his blessing of animals and for affirming the animals as a reminder of our affinity for God’s creatures and creation. He saw all of God's creation as an interconnected blessing. I think St. Francis is an example of someone who was not plagued with meanness of spirit and hardness of heart, but rather had an open and willing heart, as we are called to have for the Lord. May the hard hearts become soft, molded by the Spirit.
There is a wonderful prayer attributed to St. Francis, a prayer that keeps your heart from becoming hard. It goes like this:
“Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
Sunday, April 08, 2007
WE ARE EASTER PEOPLE!
On that first Easter morning the disciples came to the tomb of Jesus and found it empty. They came expecting to find a body and instead they found emptiness. Now I have to tell you that I have preached many Easter sermons about the empty tomb. The empty tomb is a compelling image.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ has been called the greatest event in human history, because it changed everything. Of course, His birth and crucifixion were necessary precedents to the resurrection, and they are all interrelated in our salvation.
The three main events in the life of Jesus were when He became incarnate at his birth, when He went to Calvary to bear our sins, and when He arose from the dead on the first Easter morning.
The three are intricately inter-related. If Jesus had not become incarnate, He could not have borne the sins of man. If He had not given His life a ransom for the sinner, then there would have been no need for a resurrection from the dead.
The resurrection of Jesus provides for us a great source of gladness. There were no "what ifs" about his resurrection, for Peter said that "IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR DEATH TO HOLD HIM." It was planned in eternity past, that the Lord Jesus would not only die, but that he would not stay in the grave in defeat. Christ was destined to rise in victory and glory.
Our hearts are lifted above our present problems and pressures, when we realize get a glimpse of an empty tomb and a resurrected, ever living Savior.
We begin to catch a ray of hope in what we regard as hopeless situations, when we stop to think that Jesus lives, and because He lives we can face tomorrow.
We tend to lose our fears when we have our eyes upon the Lord of Life and the Conquerer of Death. We hear Him come from the grave and whisper to our souls the comforting, reassuring words : "Fear Not".
Life's difficulties do not look as large, when we remind ourselves that He lives. We have a present help in the time of trouble.
The fact that Jesus is alive is more real to me than the fact than I am living. How precious are these eternal, wonderful, spiritual things of God!
There are miracles that are sent our way daily by God. I believe we are constantly confronted by miracles, and the resurrection is the miracle of all miracles. Explain it away if you like, but we have been tremendously affected by the countless people over these last 2000 years who encountered the risen Christ in their lives.
What the resurrected Christ did was to empower his followers to continue his work, be bearers of his love, be healers in his name, and work for justice and peace in the world. Christians have been killed, persecuted, ridiculed, reviled and dismissed but still the Good News lives on and in 2000 years of trying all those governments and individuals who have attempted to eliminate Christianity from the face of the earth have failed. Praise God for Savior.
We are Easter People. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed!
The resurrection of Jesus Christ has been called the greatest event in human history, because it changed everything. Of course, His birth and crucifixion were necessary precedents to the resurrection, and they are all interrelated in our salvation.
The three main events in the life of Jesus were when He became incarnate at his birth, when He went to Calvary to bear our sins, and when He arose from the dead on the first Easter morning.
The three are intricately inter-related. If Jesus had not become incarnate, He could not have borne the sins of man. If He had not given His life a ransom for the sinner, then there would have been no need for a resurrection from the dead.
The resurrection of Jesus provides for us a great source of gladness. There were no "what ifs" about his resurrection, for Peter said that "IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR DEATH TO HOLD HIM." It was planned in eternity past, that the Lord Jesus would not only die, but that he would not stay in the grave in defeat. Christ was destined to rise in victory and glory.
Our hearts are lifted above our present problems and pressures, when we realize get a glimpse of an empty tomb and a resurrected, ever living Savior.
We begin to catch a ray of hope in what we regard as hopeless situations, when we stop to think that Jesus lives, and because He lives we can face tomorrow.
We tend to lose our fears when we have our eyes upon the Lord of Life and the Conquerer of Death. We hear Him come from the grave and whisper to our souls the comforting, reassuring words : "Fear Not".
Life's difficulties do not look as large, when we remind ourselves that He lives. We have a present help in the time of trouble.
The fact that Jesus is alive is more real to me than the fact than I am living. How precious are these eternal, wonderful, spiritual things of God!
There are miracles that are sent our way daily by God. I believe we are constantly confronted by miracles, and the resurrection is the miracle of all miracles. Explain it away if you like, but we have been tremendously affected by the countless people over these last 2000 years who encountered the risen Christ in their lives.
What the resurrected Christ did was to empower his followers to continue his work, be bearers of his love, be healers in his name, and work for justice and peace in the world. Christians have been killed, persecuted, ridiculed, reviled and dismissed but still the Good News lives on and in 2000 years of trying all those governments and individuals who have attempted to eliminate Christianity from the face of the earth have failed. Praise God for Savior.
We are Easter People. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed!
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Yield Not to Temptations -- No Spiritual Bird Nests, Please!
Christians face temptation every day, and not everyone is prepared to overcome those temptations. At some point most people are faced with the desire to submit to sin, whether it is sex, gossip, drugs, alcohol, cheating, and more. Sometimes those temptations are minor, so they are pretty easy to overcome, but other times the desire seems too great. Remember, though, that temptation is not the sin, even Jesus was tempted. As the old saying goes, just let those birds fly over your head -- do not let them build a nest! We only sin when we give into the temptation. Here are some things you can do to help you avoid and overcome temptations:
1) Identify Temptations
Everyone is a little different, so it is important to know what temptations are difficult for you to overcome. Some people may find that gossip is more alluring than drugs or gambling or sex. When you know what tempts you the most you can be proactive about handling that temptation.
2) Pray About the Temptation
Most Christians know the temptations that are difficult to overcome. For instance, if you find gossip a great temptation then pray every night for the strength to overcome the gossip. Ask God to provide you with the strength to walk away from the gossip and to know what information is gossip and what is real information.
3) Avoid the Temptation
When we know what temptations are being the most difficult, we can prepare ourselves for those situations. In some cases we can even avoid the temptation itself. For instance, if premarital sex is a temptation, then you can avoid being in situations where you might find yourself giving into that desire.
4) Use Your Bible for Inspiration
The Bible is there to offer Christians advice and guidance, so why not use it? Scripture verses like 1 Corinthians 10:13, "You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptation" (CEV), can help inspire you in moments of temptation. Try to look up what the Bible says on your areas of temptation for inspiration and guidance.
5) Use Positive Language
What does positive language have to do with avoiding temptation? It actually has more to do with overcoming temptation. You need to believe God can help you overcome the desire to sin in order to actually overcome it. Avoid saying things like, "It's too hard," or "I'll never be able to do this." Remember, God can move mountains. Try changing how you approach the situation and say, "God can help me overcome this," or "It's not too hard for God."
6) Give Yourself Alternatives
In 1 Corinthians 10:13, the Bible states that God can show you how to escape from your temptation. Allow yourself to see that escape. If you know your temptations, know how you can overcome. Give yourself alternatives. For instance, if you are tempted to lie to protect another person's feelings, try considering other ways to word the truth so it doesn't sound so harsh. If people around you are getting into drugs, try making new friends. Alternatives aren't always easy, but they can be the path God creates for you to avoid and overcome temptation.
7) God Still Loves You and Will Forgive You
While avoiding temptation makes life a lot easier, it can be discouraging when we do give into that sin. We all make mistakes. That is why God offers us forgiveness. While you should not sin knowing that you can be forgiven, you should know that God's grace is available. So remember 1 John 1:8-9, "If we say that we have not sinned, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth isn't in our hearts. But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away,"" (CEV)
We should not wallow in our own mire, sinning the same sin over and over again. (2 Peter 2:22) Sin separates us from God and from each other. It debilitates us and our witness for Him. God hates sin, but loves us, and so He offers forginvess through Jesus Christ.
We need to REPENT, turn away, and sin no more. Thank God for His forgivness and our ability to confess our sins to God. Rest in the fact that God will always be there ready to catch you when you fall, and to help you stay on the straight and narrow path.
1) Identify Temptations
Everyone is a little different, so it is important to know what temptations are difficult for you to overcome. Some people may find that gossip is more alluring than drugs or gambling or sex. When you know what tempts you the most you can be proactive about handling that temptation.
2) Pray About the Temptation
Most Christians know the temptations that are difficult to overcome. For instance, if you find gossip a great temptation then pray every night for the strength to overcome the gossip. Ask God to provide you with the strength to walk away from the gossip and to know what information is gossip and what is real information.
3) Avoid the Temptation
When we know what temptations are being the most difficult, we can prepare ourselves for those situations. In some cases we can even avoid the temptation itself. For instance, if premarital sex is a temptation, then you can avoid being in situations where you might find yourself giving into that desire.
4) Use Your Bible for Inspiration
The Bible is there to offer Christians advice and guidance, so why not use it? Scripture verses like 1 Corinthians 10:13, "You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptation" (CEV), can help inspire you in moments of temptation. Try to look up what the Bible says on your areas of temptation for inspiration and guidance.
5) Use Positive Language
What does positive language have to do with avoiding temptation? It actually has more to do with overcoming temptation. You need to believe God can help you overcome the desire to sin in order to actually overcome it. Avoid saying things like, "It's too hard," or "I'll never be able to do this." Remember, God can move mountains. Try changing how you approach the situation and say, "God can help me overcome this," or "It's not too hard for God."
6) Give Yourself Alternatives
In 1 Corinthians 10:13, the Bible states that God can show you how to escape from your temptation. Allow yourself to see that escape. If you know your temptations, know how you can overcome. Give yourself alternatives. For instance, if you are tempted to lie to protect another person's feelings, try considering other ways to word the truth so it doesn't sound so harsh. If people around you are getting into drugs, try making new friends. Alternatives aren't always easy, but they can be the path God creates for you to avoid and overcome temptation.
7) God Still Loves You and Will Forgive You
While avoiding temptation makes life a lot easier, it can be discouraging when we do give into that sin. We all make mistakes. That is why God offers us forgiveness. While you should not sin knowing that you can be forgiven, you should know that God's grace is available. So remember 1 John 1:8-9, "If we say that we have not sinned, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth isn't in our hearts. But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away,"" (CEV)
We should not wallow in our own mire, sinning the same sin over and over again. (2 Peter 2:22) Sin separates us from God and from each other. It debilitates us and our witness for Him. God hates sin, but loves us, and so He offers forginvess through Jesus Christ.
We need to REPENT, turn away, and sin no more. Thank God for His forgivness and our ability to confess our sins to God. Rest in the fact that God will always be there ready to catch you when you fall, and to help you stay on the straight and narrow path.
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