Tuesday, June 30, 2009

A timely message from a timeless messenger.

Proverbs 26:12 doesn't pull any punches.

Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.


What a solid rebuke to our nature. There have been times when I thought pretty well of myself. Those are the times when I am actually at my worst in the Lord's eyes.

Remember the Words of the Lord Jesus and you can't go wrong...

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)


Until next time, shalom.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

How true...

Author Pete Hammond nails it:

  • I seek comfort – He invites me to join in his suffering.

  • I like acceptance and approval – He calls me to be counter-cultural.

  • I assume my right to safety – He calls me to personal risk.

  • I desire financial security – He encourages generosity.

  • I cherish privacy – He invites me into community.

  • I yearn for personal significance – he made himself “of no reputation.”

  • I hide for fear of being judged and rejected – He knows me fully and loves me.

  • I really like my pillow – He had no place to lay his head.

  • I want to prolong a healthy life – He calls me to die daily.

  • I hide in macho male bravado – He weeps for others.

  • I love good regular meals – He feeds others.

  • I ponder doctrine – He practices love.

  • I crave success – He wants me to oppose evil at all costs.

  • I seek out important people – He befriends the despised and rejected.

    Jesus is hard to enjoy,
    But what I find deep within me is much worse.

From Lessons, Prayers & Scripture on the Faith Journey by Pete Hammond

The Question is, of course, will you allow the Lord to use you in the ways that please Him?

(tag… you’re it.)

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Mixed Signals

This post will be short, but please do not dismiss the importance of the message because of the brevity.

Look at this picture… do you see anything that catches your attention?

For those who may be wondering, no... orange juice is not a dairy product.
  • Was this an oversight?

  • A joke?
  • Did I snap this picture while they were in the middle of a transition?

The answer to these questions is “no”.

Among the many things that Jesus said, this is quite fitting here:

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:44-46)

Simple point to take away:

There is no false advertizing in the Christian life. (period)

Shalom

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

What Drives You?

Yesterday was an incredibly wonderful day. I have taken a break from riding my stationary bike in the living room (yes… in the living room… that’s where the TV is.) So I grabbed the iPod that kept me sane while working alone in a warehouse and hit the streets. The weather was so great outside!

I noticed people driving very different vehicles. Some were large and full of people and some were large and only carried the driver. Some were small and stuffed with passengers and some were small and… well… you get the point.

As I walked I began to wonder about the people driving the cars. A car’s main function is to do the bidding of the one who controls it - the driver. Some have luxuries and others are falling apart, but since the creation of the automobile, cars have had one main job… carrying stuff (people and possessions) from point A to point B.

As we read the creation narrative and then take a look at the Life of Christ, one of the things that jump out as being primary is that creation was designed to serve the creator. Sin has, of course, marred all that.

Imagine for a moment if vehicles started driving wherever and when ever they wanted to! That is scary, but the question remains:

What or Who is driving you?

And before you answer, keep in mind that there are only two answers:

  1. God.
  2. Some one or something other than God.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

For Sunday

FORESHADOWING SUNDAY'S MESSAGE

Following God's will is not like bathing a two year old while watching your favorite TV show... There are not conveiniant places to start.

But it is like Godly parenting in that though the process may be difficult, it is none-the-less worthwhile!

(Sent from a spell-checkless mobile device.)

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Consuming thoughts these last two days.

I, like most of my peers, am an Internet junkie. I keep tabs on several church planters and pastors across the nation and around the world. Yesterday I read this:

http://www.garylamb.org/2009/06/07/hardest-post-ive-ever-written/

Those of us who read the book of Proverbs a chapter a day might recall that chapter 4 regards wisdom as being so vitally important that verse 4 says:

Let your heart hold fast my words;
keep my commandments, and live.


Wisdom is exalted through the end of the chapter with statements like:

Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your life. (
4:13)

My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings. (
4:20)

and

Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil. (4:27)


The fifth chapter begins with another call to "PAY ATTENTION!"

My son, be attentive to my wisdom;
incline your ear to my understanding,
that you may keep discretion,
and your lips may guard knowledge. (5:1-2)


Solomon then begins a rather thorough exhortation to stay away from immoral women and to guard your heart from sexual temptation. Probably the most memorable and "straight to the point"-ish verse in the chapter is verse 15:

Drink water from your own cistern,
flowing water from your own well.


Before Solomon instructs his readers on various other situations, he gives a final promise:

He dies for lack of discipline,
and because of his great folly he is led astray. (Pr 5:23)


As if that were not enough, chapter 7 is devoted to the ways of immoral women.

Now... let's put all of this into perspective:
  1. Solomon was only a youth when he was anointed king of Israel and when asked by God for "anything" replied "wisdom." (1 Kings 3)
  2. He, for various reasons, married and entered into relationships with many women.(1 Kings 11)
  3. He wrote the book of Proverbs to/for his sons specifically. (Proverbs 1:8 and elsewhere.) His sons are royalty and he desires to share wisdom the Lord has allowed him to benefit from, and experience to avoid.
  4. Solomon was used by the Holy Spirit to pen these Scriptures, which makes it infinitely profitable for you and me. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

I say all that to say this:

If you are in a relationship that needs to be secret... you are in the wrong relationship.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Sore Muscles

I used to work out, a lot. One day, after years of not doing crunches, I decided to start up again. “I can pick up right where I left off.” I thought to myself. I was wrong. The day after my workout my abdominal muscles were very, very sore.

Flash forward another couple of years. When my family and I vacationed in Miami last February we took full advantage of the giant trampoline in my in-laws’ backyard. I was jumping for hours on a huge trampoline with my kids (mostly Sammy). Need I say that my abs were KILLING ME? Well, they were. I was sore just from enjoying the day, not from battling fat in the gym. I wonder how my spiritual muscles would fair against a real battle . . . a real war. I wonder if they would be sore, or would they be in great shape and prepared for the task.

The good news is, as believers in Christ, we will all find out how “in shape” we are. The bad news is, some of us will be too sore to fight.

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. (1 Corinthians 9:25)