Merry Christmas to you all!!
It's Christmas Eve. It's a bit chilly. Lights are up. Tins of cookies are all over our counter top and the window where we hang Christmas cards received is packed with warm wishes. Tonight people will gather at the church to sing songs, light candles and remember that God came to earth. Tomorrow we'll celebrate the birth of our Lord.....
There are so many things to be thankful for. But today I'm thankful for Mary. I know, you're thinking MARY, the virgin, the young girl chosen by God to bear the savior of the world. I'm thankful for her, but I'm really thankful for another Mary.
I have a friend. She is a faithful lady in our church. Her name is Mary. Mary loves Jesus with all of her heart. I can tell. It's easy to tell when someone really loves Jesus because they have His attitude. They have His demeanor. They talk like Him, gently. They smile a lot because they are at peace. They help a lot because that's what Jesus would do. Mary is like this. Mary is a lot like Jesus.
People who really love Jesus love people, like Jesus loves them. Jesus said that the reason He came to earth was to seek out people and save them. We all need saving. Jesus came to save us all. People who love Jesus are people who are very concerned about others coming to know Jesus. I know Mary loves Jesus because she wants other to know Him.
Mary works out at a local gym. While she works out she meets people and gets to know them. One person Mary got to know was a woman named Lisa. Mary is a black woman in her 50's. Lisa is an asian woman in her 30's. It doesn't matter what color or age you are, when you love Jesus, you love and accept everybody. Mary and Lisa became friends.
I don't know exactly how it all played out but what I do know is that on November 18th, just about 6 weeks ago, Mary brought Lisa to church. I only know that because Lisa filled out one of our first time guest "Welcome" cards and wrote on it that she was the guest of her friend, Mary.
As I always do, I wrote Lisa a note thanking her for visiting with us and inviting her back again and to please introduce herself to me next time she came. The next Sunday, November 25th, Mary brought Lisa again and this time Mary brought her friend to meet me. It was really nice. Mary looked pleased and Lisa looked a bit bashful but her smile was engaging. She said she was glad to be here and that she really enjoyed the church. She was thankful that Mary had invited her to come. I told her that it was nice to meet her and that I hope we could get to know each other better. Mary smiled. They left together.
That was the last time I saw Lisa....
A few days later a violent man took Lisa's life. I don't know what led up to the horrible event or why it happened. It didn't take investigators long to capture the man responsible and locate Lisa's body.
I had only met Lisa one time and for only about 3-4 minutes but I'm thankful for Mary. Mary had invested herself into Lisa and had taken the time to do for her the most important thing any person can do for any other person, introduce them to Jesus. Mary said that at one of those 2 services, either November 18th or 25th, Lisa gave her life to Jesus and accepted Him as her Lord and Savior.
For Lisa's family, this Christmas will be very hard. The grief is as deep as any grief can be. For Lisa, this Christmas is beyond belief. She is being held in the arms of the Savior, her new friend, Mary's friend. His name is Jesus.
I can't help but think of all the scenarios that could have occured. What if Mary hadn't taken the time to befriend Lisa? What if Mary had been too nervous to ask Lisa to come to church with her? What if, what if, what if.......How many people do I pass by because I'm too busy about my own life?
I don't know the answers to all of those questions. Here's what I do know; a woman who loves Jesus made a friend. She introduced that new friend to her very best friend, her Lord Jesus. Today, Lisa knows Jesus in a way Mary hopes for.
This Christmas, I'm thankful for Mary.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation - 1789
President George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation--1789
WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
Being a Thankful Person
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I like the holiday. It comes with no pressure or expectation. I wake up in the morning and think, "Ahhhh, it's Thanksgiving! I am going to enjoy family, food, some football, play some cards or board games, laugh a lot and then look forward to another day off tomorrow!!!"
For me, Thanksgiving brings back tons of memories. I know everyone has different traditions. I learned of a family recently that goes paintballing on Thanksgiving and enjoys the loving tradition of blasting the daylights out of each other! I like it!! Hey, they are thankful they HAVE family they can nuke!! Come to think of it.....nah....
My Thanksgiving traditions are not so dramatic but it's just not the holiday without my mom's cream of mushroom soup green beans with onion rings. I still am tempted to put the black olives on the end of each finger and eat them off. And by all means don't forget the rolls. No rolls, no holiday! After dinner, do some dishes and start a water fight and then a little "cheat and argue". "Cheat and Argue" that's the nick name for a card game my brother in law refuses to play. Hey, some people shoot each other, we cheat and argue. It's THANKSGIVING!!
I've heard people say that we ought to be thankful EVERY day and maybe just set aside one day for complaining. What a day that would be! One day when you can get together with family and friends for the express purpose of griping about anything you want to! You can bash the price of gas, the lame football teams in the bay area, home prices, global warming, gripe about whatever you want and do it with a frown. You can! It's your holiday!! I have a feeling though, that if you really were thankful for 364 days of the year, you'd never celebrate "Whinersday" or whatever you'd want to call it!
That really is my point. If you are a person who gives thanks constantly it's not because every thing is going so great that you have a daily supply of wonderful events to be thankful for. That's not life. When life happens it's usually a pretty good mix if good and lousy. The person who gives thanks often, does so because he/she is a thankful person. It's that simple. Thankful people give thanks a lot. Thankful people are less angry, less stressed, less whiney and they smile a lot more! As a matter of fact, thankful people have more "good days" than unthankful people because they feel thankful for things that unthankful people don't recognize. A thankful person may have unfortunate things happen all day but will focus on the one thing that is worth thanks. Better yet, a thankful person seems to be able to find a reason to give thanks even when there is no redeeming quality to a situation.
I remember watching the movie, "The Hiding Place." It's about a Christian family in WWII Holland that prepared a secret room in their home to hide Jewish people during the holocaust. They ultimately got caught, the father and other family members were killed and the two sisters were sent to the concentration camps. The girls, Corrie and Betsy, were malnourished, beaten, abused and put to hard labor. Yet they held to their faith. They began to share Jesus in small Bible studies in the barracks but the guards would stop them and threaten them if they continued. However, the conditions got worse and worse. A horrible lice infestation broke out which at first discouraged them all. However, they discovered that because of the lice, the guards would no longer enter the barracks thus allowing the girls to have their Bible study. They learned to give thanks for even the lice!!
Thankful people can always find good in something somewhere. A lot of situations look hopeless but if we take time to look and be thankful we'll find it's not as bad we once thought. People who give thanks will have good days and bad days because life is sometimes rosy and sometimes full of problems. Thankful people seem to have rosy days more often than everyone else. Why? They are thankful even for the lice! You can take the thankful quality out of a situation but you can't take the thanks out of a person. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says. "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. "
Now pass the stuffing, the gravy, some olives and don't forget the rolls!!
For me, Thanksgiving brings back tons of memories. I know everyone has different traditions. I learned of a family recently that goes paintballing on Thanksgiving and enjoys the loving tradition of blasting the daylights out of each other! I like it!! Hey, they are thankful they HAVE family they can nuke!! Come to think of it.....nah....
My Thanksgiving traditions are not so dramatic but it's just not the holiday without my mom's cream of mushroom soup green beans with onion rings. I still am tempted to put the black olives on the end of each finger and eat them off. And by all means don't forget the rolls. No rolls, no holiday! After dinner, do some dishes and start a water fight and then a little "cheat and argue". "Cheat and Argue" that's the nick name for a card game my brother in law refuses to play. Hey, some people shoot each other, we cheat and argue. It's THANKSGIVING!!
I've heard people say that we ought to be thankful EVERY day and maybe just set aside one day for complaining. What a day that would be! One day when you can get together with family and friends for the express purpose of griping about anything you want to! You can bash the price of gas, the lame football teams in the bay area, home prices, global warming, gripe about whatever you want and do it with a frown. You can! It's your holiday!! I have a feeling though, that if you really were thankful for 364 days of the year, you'd never celebrate "Whinersday" or whatever you'd want to call it!
That really is my point. If you are a person who gives thanks constantly it's not because every thing is going so great that you have a daily supply of wonderful events to be thankful for. That's not life. When life happens it's usually a pretty good mix if good and lousy. The person who gives thanks often, does so because he/she is a thankful person. It's that simple. Thankful people give thanks a lot. Thankful people are less angry, less stressed, less whiney and they smile a lot more! As a matter of fact, thankful people have more "good days" than unthankful people because they feel thankful for things that unthankful people don't recognize. A thankful person may have unfortunate things happen all day but will focus on the one thing that is worth thanks. Better yet, a thankful person seems to be able to find a reason to give thanks even when there is no redeeming quality to a situation.
I remember watching the movie, "The Hiding Place." It's about a Christian family in WWII Holland that prepared a secret room in their home to hide Jewish people during the holocaust. They ultimately got caught, the father and other family members were killed and the two sisters were sent to the concentration camps. The girls, Corrie and Betsy, were malnourished, beaten, abused and put to hard labor. Yet they held to their faith. They began to share Jesus in small Bible studies in the barracks but the guards would stop them and threaten them if they continued. However, the conditions got worse and worse. A horrible lice infestation broke out which at first discouraged them all. However, they discovered that because of the lice, the guards would no longer enter the barracks thus allowing the girls to have their Bible study. They learned to give thanks for even the lice!!
Thankful people can always find good in something somewhere. A lot of situations look hopeless but if we take time to look and be thankful we'll find it's not as bad we once thought. People who give thanks will have good days and bad days because life is sometimes rosy and sometimes full of problems. Thankful people seem to have rosy days more often than everyone else. Why? They are thankful even for the lice! You can take the thankful quality out of a situation but you can't take the thanks out of a person. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says. "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. "
Now pass the stuffing, the gravy, some olives and don't forget the rolls!!
Friday, November 2, 2007
The Motive Behind Being Like God
God's too smart for us. Yeah, yeah. Where did THAT brainstorm come from? Before you act so surprised, think about how we live. We juke left and then go right on Him but He doesn't bite on the fake. We try all sorts of spiritual misdirection but it never works. He's smarter than us.
Here is the real deal. We DO stuff. God looks at WHY we do stuff. Even if the outcome is identical for two different actions the one with the pure motive will be pleasing to God and the one without a pure motive will be worthless.
Prayer is a good example. The religious leaders in Jesus' day prayed a lot. Good thing, right? BUT their prayer was a show. It was an attempt to impress other people with their spiritual intensity. Prayer is good, but the motive behind the prayer can render it powerless.
I have to watch this all the time as I pastor my church. Why do I care for certain people or give some specfic attention? How do I act in certain situations and for what end? Are my actions a pure, guileless love or is there a personal agenda involved? When I speak is there any hint of, "I hope the people like my preaching." When I sing or play do I internally want the people to say, "Wow, our pastor is good!" When I encourage someone is it for their sole benefit or is there a desire for them to appreciate me or be impressed by my "wisdom"? Motives, when revealed make nice behaviors really ugly.
Have you ever done a really nice thing and inside wished someone else saw you do it so an impression would be made? Have you ever given of yourself sacrificially but soured afterward when no one thanked you? What was the motive? Motive makes the difference in everything we do.
This is never more clear than the motive behind the desire to be like God. Follow this train of thought. The Devil wanted to be like God and got kicked out of heaven. Adam and Eve wanted to be like God and got kicked out of the Garden of Eden. Then God throws us a nasty New Testament curveball and says, "My goal for you is to be like Me." WHAT???? Explain please!!
Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 teach us in the midst of some prophetic revelations, that the reason Satan was cast away from God was because he wanted to be like God. His aspirations were for God's power, God's position and God's glory. When Satan tempted Eve in the garden he appealed to her by saying, "You'll be like God, knowing good and evil." In Romans 8:29, God says He has predestined us to be conformed the likeness of Jesus.....in other words, to be like God. 1 John 3:2 goes further when it says, "When we see Him we will be like Him for we will see Him as He is." God WANTS us to be like Him! Then why did Satan and original man and woman get disciplined?
Motive. That's the difference.
Why did Satan want to be like God? He wanted to be almighty. He wanted to call the shots. He wanted for his beauty and his name praised and glorified. Sorry, wrong answer.
Why did Eve buy the lie and take the fruit? She felt like there might be something true in Satan's words. Is God really taking advantage of me and keeping me down? I want to know what He knows. He's holding out on me. I don't think He is being straight with me. I want to take charge of my own destiny. Swing and a miss.
Notice the motives. I want. My pleasure. My glory. I deserve. My power. My freedom. I need. My goals. My desires. I am somebody!!!!
I, I, I, I, I.....my, my, my, my, my......this is called pride: a preoccupation with self.
In the New Testament it's all about losing the self not promoting self. "If you lose your life you'll save it." "Deny yourself." "I must decrease." "The least will be the greatest." "When I am weakest His strength is made perfect."
When it comes to my relationship with God, my focus must be on God: Serving God, honoring God, pleasing God, glorifying God, loving God. This is called humility: thinking of yourself less.
Why do you do what you do? Self gratification? Self advancement? Self service? Personal glory? You may get some of that but you'll never be like God. Self sacrifice? Self denial? Self control? God's glory? He will transform you into the likeness of His Son.
Satan, Adam and Eve, you and I, even God wants us to be like Him, but only with the right motive. Today, don't just DO stuff, think about WHY you are doing it. Motive makes all the differnce.
In His grip,
Greg
Here is the real deal. We DO stuff. God looks at WHY we do stuff. Even if the outcome is identical for two different actions the one with the pure motive will be pleasing to God and the one without a pure motive will be worthless.
Prayer is a good example. The religious leaders in Jesus' day prayed a lot. Good thing, right? BUT their prayer was a show. It was an attempt to impress other people with their spiritual intensity. Prayer is good, but the motive behind the prayer can render it powerless.
I have to watch this all the time as I pastor my church. Why do I care for certain people or give some specfic attention? How do I act in certain situations and for what end? Are my actions a pure, guileless love or is there a personal agenda involved? When I speak is there any hint of, "I hope the people like my preaching." When I sing or play do I internally want the people to say, "Wow, our pastor is good!" When I encourage someone is it for their sole benefit or is there a desire for them to appreciate me or be impressed by my "wisdom"? Motives, when revealed make nice behaviors really ugly.
Have you ever done a really nice thing and inside wished someone else saw you do it so an impression would be made? Have you ever given of yourself sacrificially but soured afterward when no one thanked you? What was the motive? Motive makes the difference in everything we do.
This is never more clear than the motive behind the desire to be like God. Follow this train of thought. The Devil wanted to be like God and got kicked out of heaven. Adam and Eve wanted to be like God and got kicked out of the Garden of Eden. Then God throws us a nasty New Testament curveball and says, "My goal for you is to be like Me." WHAT???? Explain please!!
Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 teach us in the midst of some prophetic revelations, that the reason Satan was cast away from God was because he wanted to be like God. His aspirations were for God's power, God's position and God's glory. When Satan tempted Eve in the garden he appealed to her by saying, "You'll be like God, knowing good and evil." In Romans 8:29, God says He has predestined us to be conformed the likeness of Jesus.....in other words, to be like God. 1 John 3:2 goes further when it says, "When we see Him we will be like Him for we will see Him as He is." God WANTS us to be like Him! Then why did Satan and original man and woman get disciplined?
Motive. That's the difference.
Why did Satan want to be like God? He wanted to be almighty. He wanted to call the shots. He wanted for his beauty and his name praised and glorified. Sorry, wrong answer.
Why did Eve buy the lie and take the fruit? She felt like there might be something true in Satan's words. Is God really taking advantage of me and keeping me down? I want to know what He knows. He's holding out on me. I don't think He is being straight with me. I want to take charge of my own destiny. Swing and a miss.
Notice the motives. I want. My pleasure. My glory. I deserve. My power. My freedom. I need. My goals. My desires. I am somebody!!!!
I, I, I, I, I.....my, my, my, my, my......this is called pride: a preoccupation with self.
In the New Testament it's all about losing the self not promoting self. "If you lose your life you'll save it." "Deny yourself." "I must decrease." "The least will be the greatest." "When I am weakest His strength is made perfect."
When it comes to my relationship with God, my focus must be on God: Serving God, honoring God, pleasing God, glorifying God, loving God. This is called humility: thinking of yourself less.
Why do you do what you do? Self gratification? Self advancement? Self service? Personal glory? You may get some of that but you'll never be like God. Self sacrifice? Self denial? Self control? God's glory? He will transform you into the likeness of His Son.
Satan, Adam and Eve, you and I, even God wants us to be like Him, but only with the right motive. Today, don't just DO stuff, think about WHY you are doing it. Motive makes all the differnce.
In His grip,
Greg
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Wanna play?
Children are fascinating. I like to watch them. I like to watch them as an observer, a learner.
Children say what is on their minds. Children make friends quickly and forget wrongs fast. Children trust willingly and believe outlandish things innocently. Jesus said if we want to follow Him we must become like little children. I want to follow Jesus. I can learn lessons from children.
Children are even more fascinating when they do something that I can remember doing but for some reason now, as an adult, I won't do anymore. In some cases that's good. I don't shoot spit wads at people in restaurants anymore. Not that I'm not tempted occaisionally but I fight off those urges to protect the reputation of my church and family. I don't sneak from table to table in those same restaurants stealing all the creamers and downing them like shots either. But there are other things I remember doing that I wish I still did and wonder why I don't.
I was watching some kids the other day at a park play yard and noticed an obviously new kid that was a bit anxious because he didn't know anybody. He wanted to play and kind of hung around the outskirts of the small group playing on the bars. Who wants to play alone anyway? He moved in a little closer to express his interest. Soon the others recognized the new kid and one said, "Hi! Wanna play?" This little guy's face looked like the night sky on the 4th of July. It exploded in delight. He dashed into the group. Within seconds his newness vanished. He was IN!
Watching that whole scene I thought to myself, "Why don't I do that anymore? What is it about kids that accept others, new people, so easily but adults struggle with that? Why do I think twice about reaching out to someone?"
I think I know the "adult" answer. Of course! You don't know what kind of person that is! They could be a wacko or a pervert or any sort of undesireable! Kids don't think that way but adults do. That's because we're smarter than kids. We're WAY more wise! Right?
I thought some more. I don't really think all new people are wackos and perverts. But what I do mull over in my head are things like this: "Are they my type?" "Are they likable?" "Are they fun?" The biggest and maybe most disturbing question might be, "What will I benefit from accepting this person into my life?" I have to ask myself, "Are those questions a child would ask?"
Children don't ask those questions, they just say, "Wanna play?" Why do I first put a person through a series of personal litmus tests before I'll extend an invitation of acceptance?
Little children and Jesus are a lot alike in this way. Jesus accepted everyone, even wackos and perverts. He didn't approve of their behavior all the time but He knew to keep first things first. Accepted people are much more likely to make behavior changes than non-accepted people. Jesus knew that. He practiced that. Most of us adults want people to change into something we can accept before we ask them to come play.
I just finished a book about the 1947 baseball season. This was Jackie Robinson's rookie season with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The book told the story of the abuse Robinson took as the first black man in baseball. The racial slurs were hateful. The taunting, inhuman. The prejudice and bigotry, vile. Those things ate him up inside but he didn't have much recourse in a white dominated environment. He just wanted to play.
On one afternoon in Philadelphia, the taunts from the crowd were beyond what any human being should have to tolerate. They shouted and mocked and cursed and threw things. Even from the opposing teams dugout came the hateful taunts. Pee Wee Reese was one of the most beloved ball players at the time. He played shortstop for the Dodgers. He hadn't done much to welcome Robinson himself but what he saw and heard was just too much. He jogged across the infield from his shortstop position to Jackie at first base and put his arm around him and whispered something to him. The sight of their hero, Pee Wee Reese, with his arm around the black Jackie Robinson quieted the crowd in an instant. It was almost eerie how the action on the field dictated the emotions in the crowd. Then cheers. Probably cheers from those who were as appalled at his mistreatment as Reese was but cheers none the less. What was happening? Simple, there was a man on the outside that for whatever reason no body wanted to play with. One man stepped out of himself, denied his own interests and said, "Wanna play?"
Things don't change over night and neither did baseball or culture. But we're farther along than we used to be. Race really isn't the issue here. It's Jesus words that are the issue, "Love each other as I have loved you." Love doesn't demand that you be anything before you are loved. Acceptance does not demand that you meet a standard before you are accepted.
I want to be like a kid again. Yeah, in more ways than one I suppose. But I really want to be the kind of child that Jesus says I need to be. The kind that accepts people first and then worries about all that other "adult" stuff later. I want to accept people like Jesus does.....wanna play?
Children say what is on their minds. Children make friends quickly and forget wrongs fast. Children trust willingly and believe outlandish things innocently. Jesus said if we want to follow Him we must become like little children. I want to follow Jesus. I can learn lessons from children.
Children are even more fascinating when they do something that I can remember doing but for some reason now, as an adult, I won't do anymore. In some cases that's good. I don't shoot spit wads at people in restaurants anymore. Not that I'm not tempted occaisionally but I fight off those urges to protect the reputation of my church and family. I don't sneak from table to table in those same restaurants stealing all the creamers and downing them like shots either. But there are other things I remember doing that I wish I still did and wonder why I don't.
I was watching some kids the other day at a park play yard and noticed an obviously new kid that was a bit anxious because he didn't know anybody. He wanted to play and kind of hung around the outskirts of the small group playing on the bars. Who wants to play alone anyway? He moved in a little closer to express his interest. Soon the others recognized the new kid and one said, "Hi! Wanna play?" This little guy's face looked like the night sky on the 4th of July. It exploded in delight. He dashed into the group. Within seconds his newness vanished. He was IN!
Watching that whole scene I thought to myself, "Why don't I do that anymore? What is it about kids that accept others, new people, so easily but adults struggle with that? Why do I think twice about reaching out to someone?"
I think I know the "adult" answer. Of course! You don't know what kind of person that is! They could be a wacko or a pervert or any sort of undesireable! Kids don't think that way but adults do. That's because we're smarter than kids. We're WAY more wise! Right?
I thought some more. I don't really think all new people are wackos and perverts. But what I do mull over in my head are things like this: "Are they my type?" "Are they likable?" "Are they fun?" The biggest and maybe most disturbing question might be, "What will I benefit from accepting this person into my life?" I have to ask myself, "Are those questions a child would ask?"
Children don't ask those questions, they just say, "Wanna play?" Why do I first put a person through a series of personal litmus tests before I'll extend an invitation of acceptance?
Little children and Jesus are a lot alike in this way. Jesus accepted everyone, even wackos and perverts. He didn't approve of their behavior all the time but He knew to keep first things first. Accepted people are much more likely to make behavior changes than non-accepted people. Jesus knew that. He practiced that. Most of us adults want people to change into something we can accept before we ask them to come play.
I just finished a book about the 1947 baseball season. This was Jackie Robinson's rookie season with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The book told the story of the abuse Robinson took as the first black man in baseball. The racial slurs were hateful. The taunting, inhuman. The prejudice and bigotry, vile. Those things ate him up inside but he didn't have much recourse in a white dominated environment. He just wanted to play.
On one afternoon in Philadelphia, the taunts from the crowd were beyond what any human being should have to tolerate. They shouted and mocked and cursed and threw things. Even from the opposing teams dugout came the hateful taunts. Pee Wee Reese was one of the most beloved ball players at the time. He played shortstop for the Dodgers. He hadn't done much to welcome Robinson himself but what he saw and heard was just too much. He jogged across the infield from his shortstop position to Jackie at first base and put his arm around him and whispered something to him. The sight of their hero, Pee Wee Reese, with his arm around the black Jackie Robinson quieted the crowd in an instant. It was almost eerie how the action on the field dictated the emotions in the crowd. Then cheers. Probably cheers from those who were as appalled at his mistreatment as Reese was but cheers none the less. What was happening? Simple, there was a man on the outside that for whatever reason no body wanted to play with. One man stepped out of himself, denied his own interests and said, "Wanna play?"
Things don't change over night and neither did baseball or culture. But we're farther along than we used to be. Race really isn't the issue here. It's Jesus words that are the issue, "Love each other as I have loved you." Love doesn't demand that you be anything before you are loved. Acceptance does not demand that you meet a standard before you are accepted.
I want to be like a kid again. Yeah, in more ways than one I suppose. But I really want to be the kind of child that Jesus says I need to be. The kind that accepts people first and then worries about all that other "adult" stuff later. I want to accept people like Jesus does.....wanna play?
Thursday, October 4, 2007
"I'll Never Let Go!"
Here's a poem to help you when you feel like quitting....Proverbs 12:24 says, "Diligent hands will rule..." The person who sticks with it and doesn't quit will come out ahead in the end. He may not be the fastest, the most flashy or the most creative, but he'll be the last one standing in the end...enjoy......and no, I didn't write it....wish I did though.
I want to let go
But I won't let go
There are battles to fight
By day and by night
For God and the right
And I'll never let go.
I want to let go
But I won't let go.
I'm sick 'tis true,
And worried and blue
And worn through and through
But I won't let go!
I want to let go
But I won't let go
I will never yield
What? Lie down in the field?
And surrender my shield?
No! I'll never let go!
I want to let go
But I won't let go.
May this be my song
Let legions of wrong
O God keep me strong
And I'll never let go.
I want to let go
But I won't let go
There are battles to fight
By day and by night
For God and the right
And I'll never let go.
I want to let go
But I won't let go.
I'm sick 'tis true,
And worried and blue
And worn through and through
But I won't let go!
I want to let go
But I won't let go
I will never yield
What? Lie down in the field?
And surrender my shield?
No! I'll never let go!
I want to let go
But I won't let go.
May this be my song
Let legions of wrong
O God keep me strong
And I'll never let go.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
The Heart of the Touch
As a pastor, I'm often confronted with an interesting paradox. On any given Sunday some people are moved to intense, deeply spiritual experiences with God while others seem to have not been in the same service. They don't get anything out of the service at all! Why is that?
I know that God speaks to each of us right where we are. I know that sometimes a certain word will touch a senstive spot on one person's heart where the person sitting next to him or her does not have that same sensitivity. But, in general, why do some people seem to get a touch from God when others don't while they're sitting in the same service hearing the same message?
I was reading Luke 8:40-48 a couple of days ago. This story of the bleeding woman, gives me some clues into why this paradox exists.
The story goes like this...
Jesus is on his way to touch a 12 year old Jewish girl who is dying. People are excited to see this spectacle. They are crowding around him with such energy that they "almost crushed him". (vs 42) The disciples were pushing and pulling, people were tugging and elbowing. It was a mad scene! Think...overcrowded mosh pit multiplied by 100!
In the midst of all of that touching, someone "touched" Jesus. It was a gentile woman who had suffered a bleeding disorder for 12 years. We know she's a gentile because a Jewish woman with bleeding was considered unclean and she would not have been amongst others. Immediately, power went out from Jesus and she was healed.
Jesus asked, "Who touched me?" Did he not know? He knew. He wanted for her, not just to touch him for a physical healing, but come out from hiding (Gen. 3:8-9) and touch him for a spiritual healing as well. Jesus knew when he's been "touched"!
Peter was amazed. "Lord, give me a break!!! Everyone is touching you! Everyone is banging and slamming against you! Look at this crowd! This is nuts! How can you say someone touched you?" "It was the power, Peter. Power came out of me."
The difference was in the power and the power came because of a different heart. The heart of the touch makes all the difference.
Many people draw near to see the circus, join the parade or be a part of the event. Others are desperate. Some touch Jesus and don't even recognize they've been in His presence. Some don't care about anything else but touching Jesus. He's the focus. He's the end all. He's the only answer. It's all in the heart of the touch.
Sometimes I don't even feel Jesus in my own services and I'M THE PASTOR!!! It's not that God isn't there. It's that my heart isn't searching for Jesus. I can go throughout a whole day and miss Jesus altoghether. I am ashamed to admit that. Oh I'm doing Jesus things. I'm studying, counseling, teaching, bumping and slamming into Jesus all over the place. But I'm not feeling Jesus. It's the heart of my touch that is my problem. Other times I see Jesus in everything, the good and the bad. It's because my heart is searching for him. The heart of my touch is different in those occasions.
What is the heart of your touch? Are you in the crowd, near him, even touching him but not really touching him? He is available to be touched if your heart really wants to touch him. It's all in the heart of the touch.
I know that God speaks to each of us right where we are. I know that sometimes a certain word will touch a senstive spot on one person's heart where the person sitting next to him or her does not have that same sensitivity. But, in general, why do some people seem to get a touch from God when others don't while they're sitting in the same service hearing the same message?
I was reading Luke 8:40-48 a couple of days ago. This story of the bleeding woman, gives me some clues into why this paradox exists.
The story goes like this...
Jesus is on his way to touch a 12 year old Jewish girl who is dying. People are excited to see this spectacle. They are crowding around him with such energy that they "almost crushed him". (vs 42) The disciples were pushing and pulling, people were tugging and elbowing. It was a mad scene! Think...overcrowded mosh pit multiplied by 100!
In the midst of all of that touching, someone "touched" Jesus. It was a gentile woman who had suffered a bleeding disorder for 12 years. We know she's a gentile because a Jewish woman with bleeding was considered unclean and she would not have been amongst others. Immediately, power went out from Jesus and she was healed.
Jesus asked, "Who touched me?" Did he not know? He knew. He wanted for her, not just to touch him for a physical healing, but come out from hiding (Gen. 3:8-9) and touch him for a spiritual healing as well. Jesus knew when he's been "touched"!
Peter was amazed. "Lord, give me a break!!! Everyone is touching you! Everyone is banging and slamming against you! Look at this crowd! This is nuts! How can you say someone touched you?" "It was the power, Peter. Power came out of me."
The difference was in the power and the power came because of a different heart. The heart of the touch makes all the difference.
Many people draw near to see the circus, join the parade or be a part of the event. Others are desperate. Some touch Jesus and don't even recognize they've been in His presence. Some don't care about anything else but touching Jesus. He's the focus. He's the end all. He's the only answer. It's all in the heart of the touch.
Sometimes I don't even feel Jesus in my own services and I'M THE PASTOR!!! It's not that God isn't there. It's that my heart isn't searching for Jesus. I can go throughout a whole day and miss Jesus altoghether. I am ashamed to admit that. Oh I'm doing Jesus things. I'm studying, counseling, teaching, bumping and slamming into Jesus all over the place. But I'm not feeling Jesus. It's the heart of my touch that is my problem. Other times I see Jesus in everything, the good and the bad. It's because my heart is searching for him. The heart of my touch is different in those occasions.
What is the heart of your touch? Are you in the crowd, near him, even touching him but not really touching him? He is available to be touched if your heart really wants to touch him. It's all in the heart of the touch.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
How do you spell LOVE?
The other night I was listening to a speaker. He was teaching about how relationships are the key to introducing people to Jesus. Makes sense.
As he spoke, I was thinking about my relationships and recalling experiences with people I love. Those thoughts caused me to day dream a bit when a statement jerked me out of my open-eyed slumber...."How do YOU spell love? Love is spelled T-I-M-E."
That statement is powerful. The father says, "I love you" to his kids but statistics say the average father spends 37 seconds of focused time with his kids. The husband says, "I love you" to his wife but spends more time at the office, in the paper and watching sports than he does spending time with her. The Christian says, "I love you" to Jesus but most only talk to Him before meals or when they are in church or in trouble.
We need to redifine how love is spelled. Love is spelled T-I-M-E. Don't tell me you love me, sit with me and prove it. Don't say you love me, listen to me and convince me. Don't tell God you love him while your Bible collects yet another season of dust and you only talk to Him when you need something from Him.
I've learned this; I always have TIME for what I REALLY want to do. It's TIME I stopped lying to myself and others. If I really love, my TIME will be the evidence of that love.
Remember, Jesus name is Emmanuel, God with us. He came to earth to be with us, to give us His time.....because He loves us.
As he spoke, I was thinking about my relationships and recalling experiences with people I love. Those thoughts caused me to day dream a bit when a statement jerked me out of my open-eyed slumber...."How do YOU spell love? Love is spelled T-I-M-E."
That statement is powerful. The father says, "I love you" to his kids but statistics say the average father spends 37 seconds of focused time with his kids. The husband says, "I love you" to his wife but spends more time at the office, in the paper and watching sports than he does spending time with her. The Christian says, "I love you" to Jesus but most only talk to Him before meals or when they are in church or in trouble.
We need to redifine how love is spelled. Love is spelled T-I-M-E. Don't tell me you love me, sit with me and prove it. Don't say you love me, listen to me and convince me. Don't tell God you love him while your Bible collects yet another season of dust and you only talk to Him when you need something from Him.
I've learned this; I always have TIME for what I REALLY want to do. It's TIME I stopped lying to myself and others. If I really love, my TIME will be the evidence of that love.
Remember, Jesus name is Emmanuel, God with us. He came to earth to be with us, to give us His time.....because He loves us.
Hello to the interested....
Like standing on the edge of the high dive for the first time and lookin down at the water.
Like waiting for my turn to give my first speech in front of people.
Like walking into my first youth group meeting at my first post as a pastor 22 years ago.
This kind of feels like that.
My first time sharing thoughts, insights, interests and feelings. Will anyone pay attention? Will anyone care? Does any of that really matter? No, not really.
I've always wanted to write. I've not studied writing but I do talk a lot. Hey, I'm a Pastor, that's what I do.....sort of. Every now and then I'll write something that some one else gets a blessing from. I'd like this space to serve that purpose. I'd like this place to to be a place of encouragement, blessing and even a mind challenge. I like to think and I like to make people think. I also like to touch the heart and soul of people. I hope that this space will accomplish all of that.
I don't know how often I'll write. Probably only when I actually think I have something to say. But if you're interested, sign on. I'd like to share with you. I hope you're encouraged, blessed, touched and challenged.
Now back up as I do a inward 1 1/2 off of this high board....
Like waiting for my turn to give my first speech in front of people.
Like walking into my first youth group meeting at my first post as a pastor 22 years ago.
This kind of feels like that.
My first time sharing thoughts, insights, interests and feelings. Will anyone pay attention? Will anyone care? Does any of that really matter? No, not really.
I've always wanted to write. I've not studied writing but I do talk a lot. Hey, I'm a Pastor, that's what I do.....sort of. Every now and then I'll write something that some one else gets a blessing from. I'd like this space to serve that purpose. I'd like this place to to be a place of encouragement, blessing and even a mind challenge. I like to think and I like to make people think. I also like to touch the heart and soul of people. I hope that this space will accomplish all of that.
I don't know how often I'll write. Probably only when I actually think I have something to say. But if you're interested, sign on. I'd like to share with you. I hope you're encouraged, blessed, touched and challenged.
Now back up as I do a inward 1 1/2 off of this high board....
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