Tuesday afternoon, September 30, 2008 [a beautiful, sunny day; 880],
The following is a quote from Henri Nouwen: "Conversion is certainly not something you can bring about yourself. It is not a question of willpower. You have to trust the inner voice that shows the way. You know that inner voice. You turn to it often. But after you have heard with clarity what you are asked to do, you start raising questions, fabricating objections, and seeking everyone else's opinion. Thus you become entangled in countless often contradictory thoughts, feelings, and ideas and lose touch with the God in you. And you end up dependent on all the people who have gathered around you. Only by attending constantly to the inner voice can you be converted to a new life of freedom and joy" ("The Dance of Life;" p. 75-76).
One of the questions I have heard most frequently during my years as a pastor and counselor is this: How can I know that I have heard God speak to me? It most often comes out of fear and frustration. The person really wants to know what God is saying, desperately need His direction, but is frustrated in the trying and fearful that missing His voice will end in disaster. Truth be known, each one of us has been in this difficult place numerous times. I feel sure that most of us would agree that it would be much easier for us, if God would simply speak audibly or send us a letter in His handwriting, even an email; however, for reasons best left to Him, He has chosen for us to walk in faith and, therefore, without much clarity.
Although, I do not think it is necessarily a negative thing for us to seek the counsel of another, I do agree with Nouwen, in that far too many of us put more trust in the opinions of others, than we do in Him. Sadly, when we finally believe we have heard correctly, we do tend to second guess what we heard and begin raising all kinds of questions and objections, and rush to someone else for confirmation. Most often this leads only to more confusion, fear, and frustration.
For some reason, most Christians are of the opinion that other, more mature believers, are able to hear more clearly what God is saying, than they, themselves, can hear. Over the years, I have noticed that there is no short supply of those, who are willing to tell you, unequivocally, what God is saying to you, and most of the time you do not even have to ask them. Sadly, most of the time, their "spiritual" advice is anything but what God is saying to you. To be sure, many people have been led down unnecessarily difficult paths because they did not trust the Voice that shows the way.
Yes, learning to trust that Voice takes a bit of practice, along with a willingness to completely misunderstand it; however, doing so with the inner-knowing that He will never leave you nor forsake you, only allowing what He deems best to come into your life.
It really is safe to trust Him, even when He wispers--
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Correction!
Friday morning, September 26, 2008 [a bit overcast and a cool 600],
In yesterday's perspective, I inadvertently placed the national debt at $9 billion—just an honest mistake—instead of the $9 TRILLION (or $10, or $11) that it actually is. It was this morning before I realized what I had done, and when I did, I almost let it go, thinking it really didn't matter, as my point was clearly made.
The more I thought about it, however, the more I realized that I was thinking exactly like most of the politicians who are meeting in Washington attempting to "fix" our problem and, thereby, to avoid a financial disaster, like, say, another Great Depression.
Please allow me to explain just how "insignificant" my "honest mistake" is: The words “million,” “billion,” and “trillion” look and sound pretty much the same; however, if you stacked up thousand-dollar bills to reach one million, it would reach four inches high; one billion thousand-dollar bills stacked up is around 333 feet high; one trillion is about 63 MILES high. As you can see, the difference between a billion and a trillion is hardly noticeable. Yea, right!
If you cannot relate to that example, try this one on for size: A million seconds is 12 days; a billion seconds is 32 years; a trillion seconds is almost 32 decades (32 years). Reread that, so you get it clearly fixed in your mind. This means that 9 billion seconds is 288 years (32 x 9); whereas, 9 trillion seconds is a mere 288 decades (or 2880 years!). As you can see, my "honest mistake" was off by ONLY by 2848 years! Now, let us put this in more practical terms: Assume that the national debt is only $9 trillion, rather than 10 or 11 trillion. This means that my "honest mistake" was off only by $8,991,000,000,000 (that's 8 trillion, 991 billion dollars!). With that, try this on for size: Let us assume that your annual income is $85,000. This means that should you have to pay off this debt and you used your entire annual income to do just that, it would take you only 105,882,353 years (that is 105 million, 882 thousand, 352 years!)! However, if you chose to pay it off at the rate of $1 per second, it would take you only 2,880 years! What a bargain!
I think you see, these "honest mistakes" that our leaders often make can be very costly, so much so that, well I think you can see where greed will take us.
Gosh, I hope I haven't made another "honest mistake" in my calculations! If I have forgive me because it really was an honest mistake. These numbers are much too huge for my feeble mind.
One more thing: the national debt is increasing faster than a speeding bullet, so be sure to keep your facts up-to-date; otherwise, you might get in over your head and not live long enough to pay off your share of this ever-increasing debt and I would HATE for that to happen!
I just thought I would remind you—
In yesterday's perspective, I inadvertently placed the national debt at $9 billion—just an honest mistake—instead of the $9 TRILLION (or $10, or $11) that it actually is. It was this morning before I realized what I had done, and when I did, I almost let it go, thinking it really didn't matter, as my point was clearly made.
The more I thought about it, however, the more I realized that I was thinking exactly like most of the politicians who are meeting in Washington attempting to "fix" our problem and, thereby, to avoid a financial disaster, like, say, another Great Depression.
Please allow me to explain just how "insignificant" my "honest mistake" is: The words “million,” “billion,” and “trillion” look and sound pretty much the same; however, if you stacked up thousand-dollar bills to reach one million, it would reach four inches high; one billion thousand-dollar bills stacked up is around 333 feet high; one trillion is about 63 MILES high. As you can see, the difference between a billion and a trillion is hardly noticeable. Yea, right!
If you cannot relate to that example, try this one on for size: A million seconds is 12 days; a billion seconds is 32 years; a trillion seconds is almost 32 decades (32 years). Reread that, so you get it clearly fixed in your mind. This means that 9 billion seconds is 288 years (32 x 9); whereas, 9 trillion seconds is a mere 288 decades (or 2880 years!). As you can see, my "honest mistake" was off by ONLY by 2848 years! Now, let us put this in more practical terms: Assume that the national debt is only $9 trillion, rather than 10 or 11 trillion. This means that my "honest mistake" was off only by $8,991,000,000,000 (that's 8 trillion, 991 billion dollars!). With that, try this on for size: Let us assume that your annual income is $85,000. This means that should you have to pay off this debt and you used your entire annual income to do just that, it would take you only 105,882,353 years (that is 105 million, 882 thousand, 352 years!)! However, if you chose to pay it off at the rate of $1 per second, it would take you only 2,880 years! What a bargain!
I think you see, these "honest mistakes" that our leaders often make can be very costly, so much so that, well I think you can see where greed will take us.
Gosh, I hope I haven't made another "honest mistake" in my calculations! If I have forgive me because it really was an honest mistake. These numbers are much too huge for my feeble mind.
One more thing: the national debt is increasing faster than a speeding bullet, so be sure to keep your facts up-to-date; otherwise, you might get in over your head and not live long enough to pay off your share of this ever-increasing debt and I would HATE for that to happen!
I just thought I would remind you—
"Honest Mistakes"?
Friday morning, September 26, 2008 [a bit overcast and a cool 600],
In yesterday's perspective, I inadvertently placed the national debt at $9 billion—just an honest mistake—instead of the $9 TRILLION (or $10, or $11) that it actually is. It was this morning before I realized what I had done, and when I did, I almost let it go, thinking it really didn't matter, as my point was clearly made.
The more I thought about it, however, the more I realized that I was thinking exactly like most of the politicians who are meeting in Washington attempting to "fix" our problem and, thereby, to avoid a financial disaster, like, say, another Great Depression.
Please allow me to explain just how "insignificant" my "honest mistake" is: The words “million,” “billion,” and “trillion” look and sound pretty much the same; however, if you stacked up thousand-dollar bills to reach one million, it would reach four inches high; one billion thousand-dollar bills stacked up is around 333 feet high; one trillion is about 63 MILES high. As you can see, the difference between a billion and a trillion is hardly noticeable. Yea, right!
If you cannot relate to that example, try this one on for size: A million seconds is 12 days; a billion seconds is 32 years; a trillion seconds is almost 32 decades (31,688 years). Reread that, so you get it clearly fixed in your mind. This means that 9 billion seconds is 288 years (32 x 9); whereas, 9 trillion seconds is a mere 285,192 years (31,688 x 9). As you can see, my "honest mistake" was off by ONLY by 284,904 years! Now, let us put this in more practical terms: Assume that the national debt is only $9 trillion, rather than 10 or 11 trillion. This means that my "honest mistake" was off only by $8,991,000,000,000 (that's 8 trillion, 991 billion dollars!). With that, try this on for size: Let us assume that your annual income is $85,000. This means that should you have to pay off this debt and you used your entire annual income to do just that, it would take you only 105,882,353 years (that is 105 million, 882 thousand, 352 years!)! However, if you chose to pay it off at the rate of $1 per second, it would take you only 285,192 years! What a bargain!
I think you see, these "honest mistakes" that our leaders often make can be very costly, so much so that, well I think you can see where greed will take us.
Gosh, I hope I haven't made another "honest mistake" in my calculations! If I have forgive me because it really was an honest mistake. These numbers are much too huge for my feeble mind.
One more thing: the national debt is increasing faster than a speeding bullet, so be sure to keep your facts up-to-date; otherwise, you might get in over your head and not live long enough to pay off your share of this ever-increasing debt and I would HATE for that to happen!
I just thought I would remind you—
In yesterday's perspective, I inadvertently placed the national debt at $9 billion—just an honest mistake—instead of the $9 TRILLION (or $10, or $11) that it actually is. It was this morning before I realized what I had done, and when I did, I almost let it go, thinking it really didn't matter, as my point was clearly made.
The more I thought about it, however, the more I realized that I was thinking exactly like most of the politicians who are meeting in Washington attempting to "fix" our problem and, thereby, to avoid a financial disaster, like, say, another Great Depression.
Please allow me to explain just how "insignificant" my "honest mistake" is: The words “million,” “billion,” and “trillion” look and sound pretty much the same; however, if you stacked up thousand-dollar bills to reach one million, it would reach four inches high; one billion thousand-dollar bills stacked up is around 333 feet high; one trillion is about 63 MILES high. As you can see, the difference between a billion and a trillion is hardly noticeable. Yea, right!
If you cannot relate to that example, try this one on for size: A million seconds is 12 days; a billion seconds is 32 years; a trillion seconds is almost 32 decades (31,688 years). Reread that, so you get it clearly fixed in your mind. This means that 9 billion seconds is 288 years (32 x 9); whereas, 9 trillion seconds is a mere 285,192 years (31,688 x 9). As you can see, my "honest mistake" was off by ONLY by 284,904 years! Now, let us put this in more practical terms: Assume that the national debt is only $9 trillion, rather than 10 or 11 trillion. This means that my "honest mistake" was off only by $8,991,000,000,000 (that's 8 trillion, 991 billion dollars!). With that, try this on for size: Let us assume that your annual income is $85,000. This means that should you have to pay off this debt and you used your entire annual income to do just that, it would take you only 105,882,353 years (that is 105 million, 882 thousand, 352 years!)! However, if you chose to pay it off at the rate of $1 per second, it would take you only 285,192 years! What a bargain!
I think you see, these "honest mistakes" that our leaders often make can be very costly, so much so that, well I think you can see where greed will take us.
Gosh, I hope I haven't made another "honest mistake" in my calculations! If I have forgive me because it really was an honest mistake. These numbers are much too huge for my feeble mind.
One more thing: the national debt is increasing faster than a speeding bullet, so be sure to keep your facts up-to-date; otherwise, you might get in over your head and not live long enough to pay off your share of this ever-increasing debt and I would HATE for that to happen!
I just thought I would remind you—
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Greed
Thursday night, September 25, 2008 [beautiful and 700],
For some reason, I have believed for some time now that I was relatively intelligent; however, the events of the last couple of days have just about convinced me that I am dumber than dumb. Hopefully, I am not the only person in the good ole USA, who is having trouble following all of the political rhetoric regarding the "imminent" collapse of the US economy, unless $700 Billion dollars are placed into the hands of Paulson to dole out as he sees fit.
I really do believe that someone of my intelligence (or the lack thereof) can readily figure out that a $9 Trillion debt (or $10, or $11, or whatever it is) is a bad thing, but for the life of me I cannot figure out how anyone can borrow his/her way out of debt. On second thought, I guess I could explain how that could come about, but, OBVIOUSLY, it is a very dangerous gamble, one that no one should try at home (as the warn us on the TV, when something foolish is about to be shown). I do know that Paul said this: "Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another" (Romans 13:8). Oh, I forgot: We cannot use Biblical principles as guidelines for solving problems in the US! Excuse me; I really didn't mean to sound like a religious zealot! Yea, right!
Regardless of who can figure out what, the fact is this: many Americans are very anxious about their futures, and for many of them, their future is no farther down the road than tomorrow morning. Trying to figure out how to purchase enough gasoline just to get to work will keep many of them awake tonight. Of course, there are also those who have worked a lifetime, consistently adding money to a 401K, only to find that most of it was lost in one fell swoop. Yes, the market did recover somewhat, but concern about what it will do tomorrow will keep many of them awake tonight. I just heard a prediction that it will drop at least 100 points immediately because there is "no deal" to solve this crisis on the table tonight.
Even the thought that we could experience another Great Depression scares the wits out of most, but the truth is very few people have any real clue, as to just how devastating that would be. Trust me on this one: those who experienced the Great Depression of the 1930's would be quick to tell you that it was a very, very difficult time, one they would never want to repeat.
Now, let us face a fact: For the most part, the financial problems we are experiencing today are the result of greed, as in GREED; however, this greed is only a symptom of the problem and not the problem, itself. This is the problem: God decided that we should have no other gods before Him [Thou shalt have no other gods before Me (Exodus 20:3; the first commandment!)], and we decided, like Israel of old, that He didn't know what He is talking about, and, as a result, we created our own golden calf, aka money, and began to worship it. I do remember this: Moses got very angry and pulverized the golden calf and poured the pulverized gold into the water and make the Israelites drink it (Exodus 32:19-20).
Maybe, just maybe, we should consider the lilies of the field, and maybe, just maybe we should remember that the value of one's material possessions does not determine the quality of his life. This is what Jesus said: "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions" (Luke 12:15).
I hope I can remember this!
For some reason, I have believed for some time now that I was relatively intelligent; however, the events of the last couple of days have just about convinced me that I am dumber than dumb. Hopefully, I am not the only person in the good ole USA, who is having trouble following all of the political rhetoric regarding the "imminent" collapse of the US economy, unless $700 Billion dollars are placed into the hands of Paulson to dole out as he sees fit.
I really do believe that someone of my intelligence (or the lack thereof) can readily figure out that a $9 Trillion debt (or $10, or $11, or whatever it is) is a bad thing, but for the life of me I cannot figure out how anyone can borrow his/her way out of debt. On second thought, I guess I could explain how that could come about, but, OBVIOUSLY, it is a very dangerous gamble, one that no one should try at home (as the warn us on the TV, when something foolish is about to be shown). I do know that Paul said this: "Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another" (Romans 13:8). Oh, I forgot: We cannot use Biblical principles as guidelines for solving problems in the US! Excuse me; I really didn't mean to sound like a religious zealot! Yea, right!
Regardless of who can figure out what, the fact is this: many Americans are very anxious about their futures, and for many of them, their future is no farther down the road than tomorrow morning. Trying to figure out how to purchase enough gasoline just to get to work will keep many of them awake tonight. Of course, there are also those who have worked a lifetime, consistently adding money to a 401K, only to find that most of it was lost in one fell swoop. Yes, the market did recover somewhat, but concern about what it will do tomorrow will keep many of them awake tonight. I just heard a prediction that it will drop at least 100 points immediately because there is "no deal" to solve this crisis on the table tonight.
Even the thought that we could experience another Great Depression scares the wits out of most, but the truth is very few people have any real clue, as to just how devastating that would be. Trust me on this one: those who experienced the Great Depression of the 1930's would be quick to tell you that it was a very, very difficult time, one they would never want to repeat.
Now, let us face a fact: For the most part, the financial problems we are experiencing today are the result of greed, as in GREED; however, this greed is only a symptom of the problem and not the problem, itself. This is the problem: God decided that we should have no other gods before Him [Thou shalt have no other gods before Me (Exodus 20:3; the first commandment!)], and we decided, like Israel of old, that He didn't know what He is talking about, and, as a result, we created our own golden calf, aka money, and began to worship it. I do remember this: Moses got very angry and pulverized the golden calf and poured the pulverized gold into the water and make the Israelites drink it (Exodus 32:19-20).
Maybe, just maybe, we should consider the lilies of the field, and maybe, just maybe we should remember that the value of one's material possessions does not determine the quality of his life. This is what Jesus said: "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions" (Luke 12:15).
I hope I can remember this!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Pray Without Ceasing
Wednesday morning, September 24, 2008 [sunny and 620],
This morning a UPS driver delivered Robert Benson's newest release entitled, "In Constant Prayer" and I can hardly wait to begin reading it. I really do not know Robert Benson (although I did talk with him once) but I did know his dad, the late Bob Benson, who was one of the most powerful, effective communicators I have ever known. He probably didn't weigh 100 pounds, even with a rock in his pocket, and he spoke in a high, squeaky voice, but when he spoke it was kind of like God speaking to Moses on Mt. Sinai (not really, but close!). He lived in Tennessee and was the owner of Benson Publishing Company, he loved to speak at retreats, which was his forte, but he also was master before huge crowds. I loved him and still miss him, especially hearing him speak. He, too, was a writer, a great, gifted writer, but he never could get his squeaky voice to quite come through in his writings. He faithfully wrote an article (monthly, I think) called "Meanings" and I loved them. Truth is, I think I still have all of them stored in my attic and he has been over Home for a number of years. Bob had a relationship with Jesus and you can take that as truth.
Well, his son is now the age of his Dad when I knew him, probably even older, which dates me, to be sure. He has published more than a dozen books himself. Robert's theology is a bit different from his Dad's, a bit more liturgical, shall I say. Even so, I am confident that his Dad is very proud of him and is probably his greatest cheerleader.
Anyway, it seems that Robert's passion is praying, second to his passion for writing. His writings on the subject of prayer remind me of something I read from one of Mike Mason's books: "There is nothing I love more than praying!" Wow! I really like that. I have the strong feeling that this world would be a much better place, if this were true of every believer. Sadly, the church has convinced us that being busy takes precedence over praying. Oh, yes, it tells us to pray but it does not give us time to pray, not if we participate in all the ministries that are required of us AND we somehow manage to take care of the responsibilities of life, such as parenting, earning a living, and all the rest.
I recently told a pastor-friend of mine that, in my opinion, it would make no eternal difference whatsoever, if every church in Macon (where I live) closed their doors and walked away. I still think that is true but I do wonder this: What would happen, if every church in Macon ended every program and encouraged the people to spend an equal amount of time in prayer.
You see, contrary to popular opinion, the success of the kingdom of God does not depend upon the programs of the church; instead, it depends upon the finished work of Jesus Christ. It is our neighbor, who needs our help, NOT God; He will make it quite-well without us! The fact is this: We need Him, we desperately need Him, and from what I can see, He choose to use prayer as one of the primary instruments of our meeting with Him.
Prayer is far-more important than most of us seem to believe-
This morning a UPS driver delivered Robert Benson's newest release entitled, "In Constant Prayer" and I can hardly wait to begin reading it. I really do not know Robert Benson (although I did talk with him once) but I did know his dad, the late Bob Benson, who was one of the most powerful, effective communicators I have ever known. He probably didn't weigh 100 pounds, even with a rock in his pocket, and he spoke in a high, squeaky voice, but when he spoke it was kind of like God speaking to Moses on Mt. Sinai (not really, but close!). He lived in Tennessee and was the owner of Benson Publishing Company, he loved to speak at retreats, which was his forte, but he also was master before huge crowds. I loved him and still miss him, especially hearing him speak. He, too, was a writer, a great, gifted writer, but he never could get his squeaky voice to quite come through in his writings. He faithfully wrote an article (monthly, I think) called "Meanings" and I loved them. Truth is, I think I still have all of them stored in my attic and he has been over Home for a number of years. Bob had a relationship with Jesus and you can take that as truth.
Well, his son is now the age of his Dad when I knew him, probably even older, which dates me, to be sure. He has published more than a dozen books himself. Robert's theology is a bit different from his Dad's, a bit more liturgical, shall I say. Even so, I am confident that his Dad is very proud of him and is probably his greatest cheerleader.
Anyway, it seems that Robert's passion is praying, second to his passion for writing. His writings on the subject of prayer remind me of something I read from one of Mike Mason's books: "There is nothing I love more than praying!" Wow! I really like that. I have the strong feeling that this world would be a much better place, if this were true of every believer. Sadly, the church has convinced us that being busy takes precedence over praying. Oh, yes, it tells us to pray but it does not give us time to pray, not if we participate in all the ministries that are required of us AND we somehow manage to take care of the responsibilities of life, such as parenting, earning a living, and all the rest.
I recently told a pastor-friend of mine that, in my opinion, it would make no eternal difference whatsoever, if every church in Macon (where I live) closed their doors and walked away. I still think that is true but I do wonder this: What would happen, if every church in Macon ended every program and encouraged the people to spend an equal amount of time in prayer.
You see, contrary to popular opinion, the success of the kingdom of God does not depend upon the programs of the church; instead, it depends upon the finished work of Jesus Christ. It is our neighbor, who needs our help, NOT God; He will make it quite-well without us! The fact is this: We need Him, we desperately need Him, and from what I can see, He choose to use prayer as one of the primary instruments of our meeting with Him.
Prayer is far-more important than most of us seem to believe-
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Silence, please!!!!!
Tuesday morning, September 23, 2008 [sunny and 630],
My mother-in-law was quite a character, to put it mildly. To be sure, one never had to wonder what she was thinking because she was quick to tell you, and she would do so with little (if any) regard for your opinion of what she was thinking. Strangely, however, she did not talk just to be talking; if she had something to say, she said it, otherwise she kept quiet.
I can remember several (actually, many) occasions, when we would be in the car, on our way to some destination, and she would ride silently for miles—never speaking a word. After a bit of this silence, I would ask, "Blanche, why are you so quiet?" Her response was always the same: "I have nothing to say and I am saying it!"
Actually, these are virtuous traits: the freedom not only to say what needs to be said, but also the freedom to be silent when nothing needs to be said. Somehow, however, we have been convinced that words are more important than silence; consequently, most of us are not free to be silent. It is almost impossible for us to believe that our silence is often more persuasive, more powerful, than our words, which is probably why most of us prefer "talking" over "listening."
Have you ever noticed how you feel after having a long discussion with someone, a discussion where many words are used? Have you noticed that most of these long discussions leave you wishing you had left sooner, or had avoided the discussion altogether? Some salespersons, for example, never learn this truth; instead, long after they could have "closed the deal" they are still talking and end up "losing the deal." To be sure, most preachers NEVER learn this truth (yes, I am guilty as charged!) and continue babbling long after the listeners have stopped listening (actually, I think God takes his naps during these times of nonsensical babbling, and I am certain that many church-goers do).
If you have been watching the political scene of late, you realize that long, loquacious answers to simple straightforward questions usually means that the person is attempting to avoid answering the question because of his concern for the opinion of others. In other words, taking a stand will be costly, so rather than providing a brief, honest answer, he rambles on-and-on about nothing, honestly (although foolishly) thinking that words are more persuasive, more powerful than silence.
Someone once said that it is far better to keep your mouth shut and let people wonder about the degree of your sanity, than to open it and make the truth painfully evident. Anyway, I think each of us would probably benefit from talking less and listening more (attentively).
I feel sure that what you or I have to say is important but I doubt that it is as important as we think it is, surely, not as important as our silence would be (at least most of the time).
Silence is golden, or to say that another way, quiet is a priceless gift!
My mother-in-law was quite a character, to put it mildly. To be sure, one never had to wonder what she was thinking because she was quick to tell you, and she would do so with little (if any) regard for your opinion of what she was thinking. Strangely, however, she did not talk just to be talking; if she had something to say, she said it, otherwise she kept quiet.
I can remember several (actually, many) occasions, when we would be in the car, on our way to some destination, and she would ride silently for miles—never speaking a word. After a bit of this silence, I would ask, "Blanche, why are you so quiet?" Her response was always the same: "I have nothing to say and I am saying it!"
Actually, these are virtuous traits: the freedom not only to say what needs to be said, but also the freedom to be silent when nothing needs to be said. Somehow, however, we have been convinced that words are more important than silence; consequently, most of us are not free to be silent. It is almost impossible for us to believe that our silence is often more persuasive, more powerful, than our words, which is probably why most of us prefer "talking" over "listening."
Have you ever noticed how you feel after having a long discussion with someone, a discussion where many words are used? Have you noticed that most of these long discussions leave you wishing you had left sooner, or had avoided the discussion altogether? Some salespersons, for example, never learn this truth; instead, long after they could have "closed the deal" they are still talking and end up "losing the deal." To be sure, most preachers NEVER learn this truth (yes, I am guilty as charged!) and continue babbling long after the listeners have stopped listening (actually, I think God takes his naps during these times of nonsensical babbling, and I am certain that many church-goers do).
If you have been watching the political scene of late, you realize that long, loquacious answers to simple straightforward questions usually means that the person is attempting to avoid answering the question because of his concern for the opinion of others. In other words, taking a stand will be costly, so rather than providing a brief, honest answer, he rambles on-and-on about nothing, honestly (although foolishly) thinking that words are more persuasive, more powerful than silence.
Someone once said that it is far better to keep your mouth shut and let people wonder about the degree of your sanity, than to open it and make the truth painfully evident. Anyway, I think each of us would probably benefit from talking less and listening more (attentively).
I feel sure that what you or I have to say is important but I doubt that it is as important as we think it is, surely, not as important as our silence would be (at least most of the time).
Silence is golden, or to say that another way, quiet is a priceless gift!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
A Bit to Consider
Wednesday night, September 17, 2008 [a cool 680],
Realizing that I am probably throwing more at you than you care to read, I do hope you will read the following and follow-up with your comments, question, etc:
1. The gospel is the power of God for salvation, not the shenanigans (even the best efforts) of man.
2. The gospel is not for everyone; therefore, the masses cannot be evangelized.
3. The gospel is for the elect of God and ONLY for the elect of God; therefore, only the elect of God can be evangelized.
4. The antics (including best efforts) used to evangelize the masses actually offend the elect; whereas, the gospel offends the masses.
5. No one, not even one the elect, can come to the Father (be evangelized), unless He grants it and unless He draws them to Himself.
6. When the Father draws one of His elect to Himself, he/she will come to Him and that in His time.
7. The Son gives life to whom He wishes and only to whom He wishes.
8. God did not design evangelism to be some complicated, manipulative effort that man carries out; instead, He designed it to be something that He accomplishes through the power of the Holy Spirit.
9. The effectiveness of evangelism is not determined by the efforts of man—the one who wills or the one who runs—but by the power of God, who has mercy and lavishes grace.
10. What we win them with is what we win them to; consequently, we should never attempt to win anyone with anything other than the preaching of the gospel. Actually, we never win anyone because He has reserved that for Himself.
Realizing that I am probably throwing more at you than you care to read, I do hope you will read the following and follow-up with your comments, question, etc:
1. The gospel is the power of God for salvation, not the shenanigans (even the best efforts) of man.
2. The gospel is not for everyone; therefore, the masses cannot be evangelized.
3. The gospel is for the elect of God and ONLY for the elect of God; therefore, only the elect of God can be evangelized.
4. The antics (including best efforts) used to evangelize the masses actually offend the elect; whereas, the gospel offends the masses.
5. No one, not even one the elect, can come to the Father (be evangelized), unless He grants it and unless He draws them to Himself.
6. When the Father draws one of His elect to Himself, he/she will come to Him and that in His time.
7. The Son gives life to whom He wishes and only to whom He wishes.
8. God did not design evangelism to be some complicated, manipulative effort that man carries out; instead, He designed it to be something that He accomplishes through the power of the Holy Spirit.
9. The effectiveness of evangelism is not determined by the efforts of man—the one who wills or the one who runs—but by the power of God, who has mercy and lavishes grace.
10. What we win them with is what we win them to; consequently, we should never attempt to win anyone with anything other than the preaching of the gospel. Actually, we never win anyone because He has reserved that for Himself.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Apart from the Law, Sin is Dead!
Monday morning, September 15, 2008 [beautiful and 720],
As I was driving from my office in Macon enroute to Reynolds to speak at a funeral service (a number of years ago), I was quoting to myself the passage of Scripture I planned to use as my text: "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:56-57). Thankfully, and for the first time in my life, I heard what Paul was saying and it shook me to my bones! I could not imagine how I had missed this very, very important truth, especially in light of the fact that I had spent most of my life studying the Scriptures! Listen to what Paul said: THE POWER OF SIN IS THE LAW! So obvious; yet, I had managed to overlook it. I think it is safe to say that I was as excited, as I had ever been; it was as if I had found the buried treasure, the key to victorious Christian living.
Think about it: The thing that gives sin its strength is the law! Amazing! Life-changing! Paradigm shifting! I could hardly wait to get back to my place of study and examine this more carefully. When I did finally return, the Holy Spirit immediately reminded me of what Paul had said in Romans 7. Listen to his words: "For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if he Law had not said, 'You shall not covet.' But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead" (Romans 7:5-8; emphasis, mine).
In light of this, I find it terribly depressing to think that most Christians believe that imposing the Law on "sinners" is the way to end their "sinning." The fact of the matter is this: The only effective way to break the power of sin is to release the sinner from the Law! Scary? Yes, until you get the message, until you see this truth: The power of sin IS THE LAW!
Sadly, far-too-many Christians worship the Ten Commandments, rather than The Christ, as is evidenced by the fact that they place far more confidence in their ability to keep the commandments, than they place in the efficaciousness of Jesus vicarious death, burial, resurrection, and ascension! Unfortunately, they sincerely believe that the way to holiness is through their keeping the Law—obeying the Ten Commandments; somehow, the fail to see that this mindset serves only to give sin more strength. If only they could see that Jesus is their righteousness, not their "good" behavior.
Remember: apart from the Law sin is dead! Wow!
As I was driving from my office in Macon enroute to Reynolds to speak at a funeral service (a number of years ago), I was quoting to myself the passage of Scripture I planned to use as my text: "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:56-57). Thankfully, and for the first time in my life, I heard what Paul was saying and it shook me to my bones! I could not imagine how I had missed this very, very important truth, especially in light of the fact that I had spent most of my life studying the Scriptures! Listen to what Paul said: THE POWER OF SIN IS THE LAW! So obvious; yet, I had managed to overlook it. I think it is safe to say that I was as excited, as I had ever been; it was as if I had found the buried treasure, the key to victorious Christian living.
Think about it: The thing that gives sin its strength is the law! Amazing! Life-changing! Paradigm shifting! I could hardly wait to get back to my place of study and examine this more carefully. When I did finally return, the Holy Spirit immediately reminded me of what Paul had said in Romans 7. Listen to his words: "For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if he Law had not said, 'You shall not covet.' But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead" (Romans 7:5-8; emphasis, mine).
In light of this, I find it terribly depressing to think that most Christians believe that imposing the Law on "sinners" is the way to end their "sinning." The fact of the matter is this: The only effective way to break the power of sin is to release the sinner from the Law! Scary? Yes, until you get the message, until you see this truth: The power of sin IS THE LAW!
Sadly, far-too-many Christians worship the Ten Commandments, rather than The Christ, as is evidenced by the fact that they place far more confidence in their ability to keep the commandments, than they place in the efficaciousness of Jesus vicarious death, burial, resurrection, and ascension! Unfortunately, they sincerely believe that the way to holiness is through their keeping the Law—obeying the Ten Commandments; somehow, the fail to see that this mindset serves only to give sin more strength. If only they could see that Jesus is their righteousness, not their "good" behavior.
Remember: apart from the Law sin is dead! Wow!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
The Power of the Law
Saturday evening, September 13, 2008 [sunny and 880],
Dear Fellow Travelers,
Those of you who know me, know that I really do love the way Paul (the apostle) writes, and I especially like the way he communicates what he writes. He has a way of slipping in the most unlikely comments at the most inopportune times. I guess I should not be surprised because he did make it very clear that he was not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Actually, I do not suppose anyone would be, if he believed the gospel that Paul believed, especially, if he believed it as strongly as Paul did.
Anyway, he can come up with some very unorthodox comments; he must have been on a mission to irritate the religious people of this day. Whether or not he was on such a mission, he certainly did irritate them! Please join me as I take you on a brief tour of some of his unorthodox comments:
• Grace to you and peace (Romans 1:7).
• The kindness of God leads you to repentance (Romans 2:4).
• There is no partiality with God (Romans 2:11).
• He is not a Jew who is one outwardly (Romans 2:28).
• There is none righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10).
• Through the Law comes the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20).
• Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account (Romans 4:8).
• While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
• Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more (Romans 5:20).
• Sin shall not be master over you (Romans 6:14).
• We have been released from the Law (Romans 7:6).
• Apart from the Law sin is dead (Romans 7:8).
• I am no longer am I the one doing it (Romans 7:20).
• There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
• God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God (Romans 8:28).
• For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ (Romans 9:3).
• I will have mercy on whom I have mercy (Romans 9:15).
• He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens who He desires (Romans 9:18).
• Let love be without hypocrisy (Romans 12:9).
• Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another (Romans 13:8).
Although the list could go on and on, I will stop with this one because I want to highlight it: All things are lawful for me (1Corinthians 6:12). Can you imagine anyone, especially a preacher, being so foolish as to make such a statement to a group of people who are deeply involved in sin? As you know, this was the case with the Corinthian church, the very people to whom Paul made this statement.
In the midst of this epidemic of sin, Paul arrives in town and, right out of the chute, he announces that all things are lawful for him. He must have been crazy! I can only imagine what the leaders thought; to be sure, they certainly thought that the epidemic was about to become pandemic. This crazy man had just announced that all things were lawful for him, and if you read on a bit further you will find that he said almost the same thing again—All things are lawful (1 Corinthians 10:23). This time he omitted the word “me” and simply made it all-inclusive! All things are lawful—period! Had he gone “mad”?
May it never be! He knew what most never know (apart from the Law sin is dead), and he was simply putting into practice what he knew to be truth. He knew well that the only hope the Corinthian church had of overcoming this epidemic of sin was for them to be released from the Law. He knew that the Law is the power (strength) of sin, and he knew, just as well, that he had to release them from that power.
Most evangelists would have come into town and immediately purposed to put the people under the Law by telling them that God would never be pleased with them, as long as they continued to live such reckless lives. They would have heaped judgment and condemnation upon them, rather than upon their behavior. The result would have been tragic! The epidemic would have, indeed, become pandemic.
Paul was much too wise for such foolishness. He pointed out the sin, to be sure, but he also made it clear that not one of the sins they were committing could separate them from God or from His love. Talk about unlikely comments at inopportune times!
Think about it! Today, there is an epidemic of sin running wild through the church, and Paul’s fix (actually, God's fix!) has not changed: Apart from the Law, sin is dead!
MY PERSPECTIVE: God’s ways are definitely not our ways!
Dear Fellow Travelers,
Those of you who know me, know that I really do love the way Paul (the apostle) writes, and I especially like the way he communicates what he writes. He has a way of slipping in the most unlikely comments at the most inopportune times. I guess I should not be surprised because he did make it very clear that he was not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Actually, I do not suppose anyone would be, if he believed the gospel that Paul believed, especially, if he believed it as strongly as Paul did.
Anyway, he can come up with some very unorthodox comments; he must have been on a mission to irritate the religious people of this day. Whether or not he was on such a mission, he certainly did irritate them! Please join me as I take you on a brief tour of some of his unorthodox comments:
• Grace to you and peace (Romans 1:7).
• The kindness of God leads you to repentance (Romans 2:4).
• There is no partiality with God (Romans 2:11).
• He is not a Jew who is one outwardly (Romans 2:28).
• There is none righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10).
• Through the Law comes the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20).
• Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account (Romans 4:8).
• While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
• Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more (Romans 5:20).
• Sin shall not be master over you (Romans 6:14).
• We have been released from the Law (Romans 7:6).
• Apart from the Law sin is dead (Romans 7:8).
• I am no longer am I the one doing it (Romans 7:20).
• There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
• God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God (Romans 8:28).
• For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ (Romans 9:3).
• I will have mercy on whom I have mercy (Romans 9:15).
• He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens who He desires (Romans 9:18).
• Let love be without hypocrisy (Romans 12:9).
• Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another (Romans 13:8).
Although the list could go on and on, I will stop with this one because I want to highlight it: All things are lawful for me (1Corinthians 6:12). Can you imagine anyone, especially a preacher, being so foolish as to make such a statement to a group of people who are deeply involved in sin? As you know, this was the case with the Corinthian church, the very people to whom Paul made this statement.
In the midst of this epidemic of sin, Paul arrives in town and, right out of the chute, he announces that all things are lawful for him. He must have been crazy! I can only imagine what the leaders thought; to be sure, they certainly thought that the epidemic was about to become pandemic. This crazy man had just announced that all things were lawful for him, and if you read on a bit further you will find that he said almost the same thing again—All things are lawful (1 Corinthians 10:23). This time he omitted the word “me” and simply made it all-inclusive! All things are lawful—period! Had he gone “mad”?
May it never be! He knew what most never know (apart from the Law sin is dead), and he was simply putting into practice what he knew to be truth. He knew well that the only hope the Corinthian church had of overcoming this epidemic of sin was for them to be released from the Law. He knew that the Law is the power (strength) of sin, and he knew, just as well, that he had to release them from that power.
Most evangelists would have come into town and immediately purposed to put the people under the Law by telling them that God would never be pleased with them, as long as they continued to live such reckless lives. They would have heaped judgment and condemnation upon them, rather than upon their behavior. The result would have been tragic! The epidemic would have, indeed, become pandemic.
Paul was much too wise for such foolishness. He pointed out the sin, to be sure, but he also made it clear that not one of the sins they were committing could separate them from God or from His love. Talk about unlikely comments at inopportune times!
Think about it! Today, there is an epidemic of sin running wild through the church, and Paul’s fix (actually, God's fix!) has not changed: Apart from the Law, sin is dead!
MY PERSPECTIVE: God’s ways are definitely not our ways!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Food is for the Stomach and the Stomach is for Food!
Friday morning, August 12, 2008 [cloudy and praying for those in the line of hurricane Ike!],
I must admit that I have always been very fond of food—seafood, country food, city food, gourmet food, fried food, boiled food, grilled food, sautéed food, baked food, Chinese food, Mexican food, French food, Southern food, Italian food, Japanese food, and, especially, soul food. There is nothing better than a spread that includes fried chicken, cream 40 peas, fried side meat, turnips with roots, mashed potatoes loaded with butter (the real thing), sliced, fresh tomatoes, fried okra, country fried steak with lots of gravy, fresh Kentucky Wonder pole beans, a pot of chicken and dumplings, hot cornbread, and fresh biscuits! Of course, you would always follow this up with a fresh peach cobbler and homemade banana pudding (the real kind). In my mind, that is what the disciples had in mind when they said to Jesus, “Rabbi eat” (John 4:31). This may be why I am so fond of Paul’s incredible declaration: Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food . . . (1 Corinthians 6:13)!
As I write this, my mind keeps going back to my childhood days when my mother or my grandmother would call me to dinner (lunch, as Yankees call it) or supper. You can believe that I stopped whatever I might have been doing and headed for the table, where a feast was in store; it never took but one call! As I remember it, somewhere about half way through dinner, I would ask, “What are we having for supper?” Whatever the answer, from that point forward, my taste buds would dance in eager anticipation of the next meal.
Recognizing that the disciples shared my keen interest in eating, as was evidenced by the fact that they walked into Sychar to buy food, I am really surprised at Jesus’ apparent indifference. Surely, He, too, was hungry—very hungry! You would think that the mere mention of eating would have excited His taste buds, and He would have been off to Sychar with the other guys. Regardless of what I might think, the fact is this: He had food to eat that nourished and satisfied Him far more than anyone’s fried chicken, peas, mashed potatoes, and sliced tomatoes ever could.
Interestingly, the disciples were just as surprised as I am at His obvious indifference toward eating. I feel sure they discussed their concern all the while they were out to lunch. Can’t you hear them asking these questions: What is wrong with Jesus? Why in the world is He acting so weird? Who made Him mad? What is His problem? Why can’t He be social? Who ate His lunch?
In the meanwhile the disciples were requesting Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” The disciples therefore were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to accomplish His work (John 4:31-34).
Think about what Jesus said: My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to accomplish His work (vs. 34); this really puts things in perspective! As much as I enjoy eating food (pork chops, collards, cabbage, and corn bread), there is more—much more! Jesus had food to eat about which most of us know nothing because most of us have been satisfied with pleasing and satisfying our fleshly desires. These desires usually take precedence over our deepest desire—to know Him whom to know is eternal life. When our fleshly bellies are full, we have no desire for that which is better—much better!
I wonder if the disciples ever caught on to what Jesus was telling them. It appears that the Samaritan woman did. The evidence? She left her water pot! When she drank from the well of water that would spring up in her, her water pot lost its significance. The disciples on the other hand left the scene, wondering which one of them secretly brought Jesus His lunch.
MY PERSPECTIVE: If it is true that Jesus’ food was doing His Father’s will and accomplishing His work (and it is), then I have the strong feeling that that should be our food as well. In all probability, nothing else will satisfy our deepest desire.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
A Supper You Do Not Want to Miss!
Thursday afternoon, September 11, 2008 [cloudy and 84 degrees],
Over the past couple of days, I have been reading Frederick Buechner's book, "The Faces of Jesus" and, although, I do not agree with everything he says, I do recommend it to you. Rest assured that he is an excellent writer, one who makes you think, even if you do not desire to do so. At any rate the following is a quote from this book (p. 62-63): "In the fullest sense, remembering is far more than a long backward glance, and in its fullest sense the symbol of bread and wine is far more than symbol. It is part of the mystery of any symbol always to contain something of the power of the thing symbolized just as it is more than a mere piece of painted cloth that makes your pulse quicken when you come upon your country's flag in a foreign country. When in remembrance of Jesus, the disciples ate the bread and drank the wine, it was more than mere bread and wine they were consuming, and for all the tragic and ludicrous battles Christians have fought with each other for centuries over what actually takes place at the Mass, the Eucharist, Communion, or whatever they call it, they would all seem to agree that something extraordinary takes place. Even if the priest is a fraud, the bread a tasteless wafer, the wine no wine at all but temperance grape juice, the one who comes to this outlandish meal in faith may find there something to feed his deepest hunger, a new life to bring him alive. Or of course he may find nothing. Unlike magic whereby if you say 'abracadabra' right the spell will always work, religion does not make anything always work; and faith cannot be sure of things happening the way it wants because it is God who makes things happen the way God wants. Faith can only wait in hope and trust. Sometimes God makes Himself known by His presence, sometimes by His absence, and for both faith and unfaith the absence of God is dark and menacing."
Seeing the American flag flying in a foreign country does, indeed, quicken my pulse but that quickening cannot be compared to the quickening that occurs when I stand before His Table, the table of the Eucharist, the table that is set and waiting for His children to arrive. Although I do this every Sunday, I never cease to be amazed at the stirring that goes on within my very soul as I, along with the rest of my flock, eat the bread and drink the wine of the Supper.
I realize that I wrote about this supper a few days ago; even so, I want to keep reminding you that you are missing so much if this Supper is not a major part of your life.
Maybe it is time for you to approach your pastor and remind him/her that this supper is more important than his/her preaching, that you would like for it to be given a place of extreme importance in the life of the church you attend, that you would like for the emphasis to be removed from him and placed onto Jesus. Well, that might be a bit rough on the pastor's ego, so go easy, but do take a stand.
Over the past couple of days, I have been reading Frederick Buechner's book, "The Faces of Jesus" and, although, I do not agree with everything he says, I do recommend it to you. Rest assured that he is an excellent writer, one who makes you think, even if you do not desire to do so. At any rate the following is a quote from this book (p. 62-63): "In the fullest sense, remembering is far more than a long backward glance, and in its fullest sense the symbol of bread and wine is far more than symbol. It is part of the mystery of any symbol always to contain something of the power of the thing symbolized just as it is more than a mere piece of painted cloth that makes your pulse quicken when you come upon your country's flag in a foreign country. When in remembrance of Jesus, the disciples ate the bread and drank the wine, it was more than mere bread and wine they were consuming, and for all the tragic and ludicrous battles Christians have fought with each other for centuries over what actually takes place at the Mass, the Eucharist, Communion, or whatever they call it, they would all seem to agree that something extraordinary takes place. Even if the priest is a fraud, the bread a tasteless wafer, the wine no wine at all but temperance grape juice, the one who comes to this outlandish meal in faith may find there something to feed his deepest hunger, a new life to bring him alive. Or of course he may find nothing. Unlike magic whereby if you say 'abracadabra' right the spell will always work, religion does not make anything always work; and faith cannot be sure of things happening the way it wants because it is God who makes things happen the way God wants. Faith can only wait in hope and trust. Sometimes God makes Himself known by His presence, sometimes by His absence, and for both faith and unfaith the absence of God is dark and menacing."
Seeing the American flag flying in a foreign country does, indeed, quicken my pulse but that quickening cannot be compared to the quickening that occurs when I stand before His Table, the table of the Eucharist, the table that is set and waiting for His children to arrive. Although I do this every Sunday, I never cease to be amazed at the stirring that goes on within my very soul as I, along with the rest of my flock, eat the bread and drink the wine of the Supper.
I realize that I wrote about this supper a few days ago; even so, I want to keep reminding you that you are missing so much if this Supper is not a major part of your life.
Maybe it is time for you to approach your pastor and remind him/her that this supper is more important than his/her preaching, that you would like for it to be given a place of extreme importance in the life of the church you attend, that you would like for the emphasis to be removed from him and placed onto Jesus. Well, that might be a bit rough on the pastor's ego, so go easy, but do take a stand.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Faith's Resting Place
Wednesday afternoon, September 10, 2008 [sunny and warm—89 degrees!],
In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church, he makes it very clear that faith’s resting-place should be the power of God and not the wisdom of man. And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:4-5; emphasis mine).
In other words, Paul was telling the saints at Corinth that he purposed to do nothing, not even in his message or in his preaching, to influence them to believe that true faith has anything to do with the wisdom of man. Paul was fully convinced that when faith rests on the wisdom of man, it can only produce what man can conjure—nothing of lasting value.
Paul confirmed this in chapter one: For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God . . . (1 Corinthians 1:21). In other words, when all the wisdom the men of the world could put together has accomplished all it could possibly accomplish, it will not have borne the fruit of even one person coming to know God, not one eternally significant thing will have been accomplished! And that, in the wisdom of God, not in the wisdom of man! It is so very true: The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men (1 Corinthians 1:25). Simply put: Man has NOTHING about which he can boast!
If your faith is resting on the wisdom of men, all you will ever see is what the wisdom of men can accomplish—the works of the flesh. You will never see what true faith in God can accomplish—the works of the Spirit.
Obviously, this is true not only for an individual believer, but also for a local assembly of believers. If any local assembly of believers places their faith in the wisdom of men, all they will ever see is what the wisdom of men can accomplish. To the eyes of the world, that might be much; but to the eyes of those whose faith is resting on the power of God, it is only the pitiful and shameful fruits of man’s labors—works of the flesh.
Actually, the faith that rests on the wisdom of man is really not faith at all, certainly not faith in Him.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Jesus, the Outlaw!
Monday afternoon, September 8, 2008 [sunny and hot; 89 degrees!],
I can still remember anticipating the response of the listeners. I knew I would have their attention as soon as I announced the title of my sermon: Jesus the Outlaw. I must admit that, although I sincerely believed the message I was about to preach was true, and I sincerely wanted the listeners to hear it and to believe it, I also enjoyed even the thought of irritating the religious people, who were within the sound of my voice—still do, for that matter. As you can imagine, the looks on the faces of the listeners revealed their concern. What man in his right mind, especially a preacher, would accuse Jesus of being an outlaw? I do not know, but I do know this: I had their attention and the religious were irritated!
The truth is I was thoroughly convinced (still am!) that Jesus was an outlaw. The evidence is, simply, overwhelming! There is no getting around the fact that He intentionally violated many of the laws the Jews held sacred. For example, He refused, at least in the minds of the Jews, to keep the Sabbath Day holy; He had the audacity to heal the sick on the Sabbath; He touched the unclean, even lepers; He forgave sinners, even adulterers, and, as if that were not enough, He encouraged others to do the same. There is no wonder the Sanhedrin was out to get this outlaw. He simply did not conform to the cultural norms of the Jewish community. It was obvious that He was a renegade outlaw. He was marching to the beat of a different drummer—a very different drummer. To use these familiar words of Brennan Manning, He lived in wild abandon to His Father, His Abba.
Although the Pharisees made it clear that Messiahs do not break laws concerning the Sabbath, touch lepers, or forgive adulterers, Jesus made it just as clear that this Messiah does WHATEVER He pleases, WHENEVER He pleases, AS LONG AS it pleases His Abba. After all, He is Lord of the Sabbath, Lord of healing, and Lord of forgiveness. In fact, He is Lord—PERIOD! Whatever He does is precisely that in which His Father delights. He always knows which rules are for following and which rules are for breaking. He knew then, and He knows now!
The truth is, Jesus was (and still is) too bizarre for most people. His behavior is too radical. Following Him is too dangerous. Following Him can lead only to what appears to be a premature death. There is no wonder that most of those who were following Him left Him. Who would want to follow a renegade outlaw? Who would want to follow a man who always marched to the beat of a different drummer?
I plead guilty! Won't you join me? It really is more fun than you might believe.
I can still remember anticipating the response of the listeners. I knew I would have their attention as soon as I announced the title of my sermon: Jesus the Outlaw. I must admit that, although I sincerely believed the message I was about to preach was true, and I sincerely wanted the listeners to hear it and to believe it, I also enjoyed even the thought of irritating the religious people, who were within the sound of my voice—still do, for that matter. As you can imagine, the looks on the faces of the listeners revealed their concern. What man in his right mind, especially a preacher, would accuse Jesus of being an outlaw? I do not know, but I do know this: I had their attention and the religious were irritated!
The truth is I was thoroughly convinced (still am!) that Jesus was an outlaw. The evidence is, simply, overwhelming! There is no getting around the fact that He intentionally violated many of the laws the Jews held sacred. For example, He refused, at least in the minds of the Jews, to keep the Sabbath Day holy; He had the audacity to heal the sick on the Sabbath; He touched the unclean, even lepers; He forgave sinners, even adulterers, and, as if that were not enough, He encouraged others to do the same. There is no wonder the Sanhedrin was out to get this outlaw. He simply did not conform to the cultural norms of the Jewish community. It was obvious that He was a renegade outlaw. He was marching to the beat of a different drummer—a very different drummer. To use these familiar words of Brennan Manning, He lived in wild abandon to His Father, His Abba.
Although the Pharisees made it clear that Messiahs do not break laws concerning the Sabbath, touch lepers, or forgive adulterers, Jesus made it just as clear that this Messiah does WHATEVER He pleases, WHENEVER He pleases, AS LONG AS it pleases His Abba. After all, He is Lord of the Sabbath, Lord of healing, and Lord of forgiveness. In fact, He is Lord—PERIOD! Whatever He does is precisely that in which His Father delights. He always knows which rules are for following and which rules are for breaking. He knew then, and He knows now!
The truth is, Jesus was (and still is) too bizarre for most people. His behavior is too radical. Following Him is too dangerous. Following Him can lead only to what appears to be a premature death. There is no wonder that most of those who were following Him left Him. Who would want to follow a renegade outlaw? Who would want to follow a man who always marched to the beat of a different drummer?
I plead guilty! Won't you join me? It really is more fun than you might believe.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Zucchini Pineapple Cake
Below is the recipe for the delicious cake that Joanne White brought to our Thursday Night Fellowship. Enjoy!
Cake Ingredients
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsps soda
2 tsps vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup vegatable oil
3 beaten eggs
1 small can crushed pineapple-drained
1/2 cup coconut
2 cups ground or shredded zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts
Frosting
1- 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup oleo, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 box powdered sugar
Mix flour, sugar, soda, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients. Place in 9x13
pan and bake for 45 min. to 1 hr. test with toothpick. Bake at 350 degrees. Cool a little and frost.
For frosting, mix together butter and cheese with mixer, and add vanilla and sugar.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Thursday Night's Fellowship
From what I could see, everyone had a great time last night, and we had a good crowd! I am glad that Travis' cardiologist was not present, as she would probably have fired him as her patient! He only ate three hamburgers, one hot dog, and a HUGE piece of JoAnne White's delicious cake! That is what I saw, anyway. Chris and Paige rode their motorcycle and the rest of us prayed for them! I think everyone was eager to get home in time to hear McCain's speech, so I hurried along with the study of the Revelation. I did notice that Luke Wicker ate his share and then some. Even so, we had burgers leftover! You need to ask JoAnne to give you the recipe for that cake, as it was good; I know because Travis told me. All of you know that I don't eat much! I have included a few pictures for your viewing pleasure (I have some more but I am afraid of including them for fear of being defrocked!).
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Finally, Home!
Thursday morning, September 4, 2008 [sunny, beautiful, and 75 degrees],
Although none of us can do much more than imagine what it will be like, I do have an imagination that runs wild when I consider our first day in Heaven. The Bride of Christ will finally be gathered together in perfect unity! All our differences will be settled and we will be in one accord. Only one thing will matter—that Jesus is glorified. There will be people there from all walks of life and from every tribe and nation. It will have finally dawned on us that none of us deserve to be there! What was seen through a glass darkly will be seen through the perfect lens of the eyes of Jesus. What we had not been able to understand will finally make perfect sense. What we once feared, we will then embrace. The One we had all longed to see will reveal Himself to us in such a way that we will all become exactly like Him! There will be no more sorrow, no more tears of remorse, NO PAIN, and no more death. There will be no need for the sun or the moon because the glory of God will illumine the whole city. There will be no darkness there because the Light of the Lamb will always shine. We won’t have to carry keys because the gates to the City will never be closed. There will be no foreigners there, only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of life—the Family of God! It will be home and we will be—home!
If you stop to listen, I really do believe you can hear the instruments beginning to play a new song, a song that the angels cannot sing—Redeemed, How I Love to Proclaim it! There will be cymbals, loud-sounding cymbals, even resounding cymbals! There will be harps and trumpets and guitars and clarinets and saxophones and timbrels and lyres. There will be dancing and dancing and dancing! We will be dancing all over Heaven! The fetters of shame and guilt and poor self-image will all be broken. We will be laughing and singing and dancing and clapping and drinking the strong drink of the Spirit of the Living God! All the stuff that used to control us will no longer be in control! All the baggage that used to inhibit us will no longer do so! We will be free—absolutely FREE! The Lord will take great pleasure in His people and His people will honor Him. We will be rejoicing and praising God. We will be living in wild and total abandon to Jesus!
To tell you the truth, I think it will be a lot like it was supposed to have been before Adam sinned, except better. It will be a love feast to beat all love feasts! We will finally realize what Jesus meant when He said, “Unless you become like little children . . .” Talk about wild abandon! I am sorry that Adam messed things up for himself and for us, but I am certainly thankful that Jesus fixed whatever Adam messed up! The Tree of Life will be along both sides of the River of Life and the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil will not even be there! No temptation! No having to listen to the serpent trying to beguile us. Such joy! Such unspeakable joy! Such peace! An everlasting peace!
LET EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH PRAISE THE LORD! LET THE TREES OF THE FIELDS CLAP THEIR HANDS! LET THE CHOSEN FROZEN THAW! LET THE WAVES ROAR AND THE MOUNTAINS BOW DOWN! LET THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD—SAY SO! LET EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH (AND EVERYTHING ELSE, FOR THAT MATTER) PRASE THE LORD!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
A Holy Silence
Wednesday afternoon, September 3, 2008 [sunny and 83 degrees],
What you are about to read is an excerpt from a "perspective" I wrote on Monday afternoon, May 8, 2000—8 years ago: As you know, God’s timing is perfect. He is always exactly on time—never late, never early—and today proved to be no exception. This morning, just before I celebrated the Eucharist, He directed me to this passage in the book of Habakkuk: "What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it, or an image, a teacher of falsehood? For its maker trusts in his own handiwork when he fashions speechless idols. Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, 'Awake!' To a dumb stone, 'Arise'! And that is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all inside it. But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him (Habakkuk 2:18-20). There is no breath (life) in the idol, but the Lord is in His holy temple. Wow! The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him! I have come to love that silence. There is something about it that really does attract me. I love being alone with Him and listening to Him. I really love hearing what He says to me! Brennan Manning calls it living in reckless abandon to Him. Anyway, I left my office with that passage burning at white heat in my heart; I had no idea what was about to take place. I was simply going to attend the funeral service of the daughter of woman who attends my church. Then it happened—celebration time! Talk about reckless abandon! Inspiring honesty, unbelievable transparency, and contagious enthusiasm were raising the rafters. I found myself clapping and weeping and rejoicing and thinking and praising and regretting, and yes, receiving! What an incredible experience! This was the miracle for me: In the midst of all that was happening, I found myself in that place of utter silence before Him, the place I have come to love. People were all around me, but I found myself abandoned to Him and He reminded me that I am His holy temple. There is life in me—His life! Hallelujah!
Thankfully, that Holy Silence is still attractive to me. I continue to love that Holy Silence, the kind of silence that allows for the hearing of the breath of God, the kind of silence that serves to remind me of the importance and benefit of living in wild abandon to Him. I am, especially, thankful that this Holy Silence can be experienced, even in the midst of the clamor and clutter of life, even unexpectedly. I must admit, however, that nothing compares to those times when I turn the rest of the world off and simply sit before Him—watching, waiting, and listening.
In my opinion, there are two very important pieces of the Christian life that many never appreciate: (1) solitude; and (2) the Eucharist. Let me encourage you to incorporate these into your life; you will be glad you did!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
The Holy Eucharist
Tuesday morning, September 21, 2008 [clear skies and 73 degrees!],
The Holy Eucharist, eating the bread and drinking the wine, really has become a true passion that runs deep within my spirit, and this passion has caused me to wonder if our own Protestant tradition hasn’t robbed us of something that is very dear to God’s heart.
In the Old Covenant, the bread of the Passover was a reminder of Israel’s trying to make provision for their physical nourishment as they rushed to leave the slavery of Egypt and find the freedom of Canaan. From that time forth, the bread that was eaten during a Passover meal served to remind the worshipers of their hurried exodus from Egypt. Unfortunately, the generation of Jews who actually left Egypt never saw Canaan. They simply wandered in the wilderness because they never accepted the true significance of the True Bread.
In the New Covenant, the bread of the Eucharist serves, not as a reminder of our physical nourishment, but as a reminder of our ultimate and perfect spiritual nourishment. Jesus made this very clear: And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, he broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19; emphasis mine). The bread of the Eucharist is our reminder of the life that He gave in order to give us life—eternal life. There is no better nourishment; there is no better food than the Bread of life! The words are very clear: Remember Me.
In the Old Covenant, the wine of Passover was a reminder of the blood of the sacrificial lamb that was sprinkled on the door posts of the houses of each Jewish family just prior to their exodus from Egypt. It was the blood that would protect their firstborn from the hand of the death angel, whose divine mission was to strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. Although the blood of those sacrificial lambs did serve to protect Israel’s firstborn from that death angel, it did not protect them from death. It could not because the blood of bulls and goats cannot take sins away.
In the New Covenant, the wine of the Eucharist has NOTHING to do with the blood of bulls and goats—animal sacrifices. The wine of the Eucharist is our reminder that Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb of God, shed His blood in order to take our sins away, in order to make us perfect in conscience, in order that we might enjoy intimacy with the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The wine we drink at this supper is our reminder that God DID strike Jesus’ life, that God DID kill His firstborn Son, in order that we might truly be free!
Could it be that this supper is much more powerful than we have ever believed? Could it be that this supper brings us into a level of intimacy with God that we would otherwise never experience? Could it be that this supper nourishes us far more than all the songs we sing and all the sermons we hear? Could it be that this supper is a genuine expression of the Word of God who became flesh and dwelt among us? Could it be that the fellowship that is shared with Him during this supper is the most precious fellowship we will experience this side of Heaven? Could it be that, in our search to find intimacy with God, we have overlooked the key?
MY PERSPECTIVE: Unless we eat His flesh and drink His blood we will not have His life in us. Actually, that is His perspective!
Monday, September 1, 2008
Yesterday's Sermon
Several of you asked for a copy of yesterday's sermon. You can watch a video of it by clicking on the link under "Mac's Sermons" entitled, "A Fine China Cup and A Coffee Mug."
Blessings,
Mac
Blessings,
Mac
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