Monday, September 3, 2012
Whatever...
Monday, June 18, 2012
I Was Blind
I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. C. S. Lewis
I was born near-sighted. Not the "coke-bottle bottom glasses" kind of near-sighted. I didn't have any trouble seeing small things like buildings or trees. I was pretty functional, and knew no better until my second grade teacher saw me squinting. She decided to send a note home to my parents, suggesting they take me to the eye doctor. I was not particularly happy about this, as I thought there was nothing wrong with my sight and I'd heard plenty of insults thrown at "four-eyes" - one of the most moronic insults in the history of bad insults. But my 8 year old protests were to no avail, and off to the doctor we went. In the due course of time, my new Cross to Bear came, the doctor fitted them to my face, and I walked miserably outside.
...Weeping may stay for the night, but shouts of joy will come in the morning. Psalm 30:5
The pure, unbridled joy that burst from my heart is still fresh, nearly 50 years later. Suddenly, things that had been blurry and gray burst into my sight in ways I had never even imagined. I burst out in wonder and joy at a world made brand new, thrilled at the most mundane things that I had never seen clearly before. Trees, blades of grass, billboards, smudges on windows - they all burst into my joyful attention. (That's a lot of bursting, I know, but that's how I remember it.)
We were all born sightless, never seeing the gorgeousness of God until - and unless - He opens our eyes.
Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see the Kingdom of God.” John 3:3
Let me be like my teacher of long ago, and point you to the Great Physician, because, "Once I was blind, now I see." Don't miss the Glory of brand new eyes because of what people might say, or how you think it'll look. Trust me, a shout of joy is just waiting to BURST out of you!
I Was Blind
"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." C. S. Lewis
I was born near-sighted. Not the "coke-bottle bottom glasses" kind of near-sighted. I didn't have any trouble seeing small things like buildings or trees. I was pretty functional, and knew no better until my second grade teacher saw me squinting. She decided to send a note home to my parents, suggesting they take me to the eye doctor. I was not particularly happy about this, as I thought there was nothing wrong with my sight and I'd heard plenty of insults thrown at "four-eyes" - one of the most moronic insults in the history of bad insults. But my 8 year old protests were to no avail, and off to the doctor we went. In the due course of time, my new Cross to Bear came, the doctor fitted them to my face, and I walked miserably outside.
...Weeping may stay for the night, but shouts of joy will come in the morning. Psalm 30:5
The pure, unbridled joy that burst from my heart is still fresh, nearly 50 years later. Suddenly, things that had been blurry and gray burst into my sight in ways I had never even imagined. I burst out in wonder and joy at a world made brand new, thrilled at the most mundane things that I had never seen clearly before. Trees, blades of grass, billboards, smudges on windows - they all burst into my joyful attention. (That's a lot of bursting,I know, but that's how I remember it.)
We were all born sightless, never seeing the gorgeousness of God until - and unless - He opens our eyes.
Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see the Kingdom of God.” John 3:3
Let me be like my teacher of long ago, and point you to the Great Physician, because, "Once I was blind, now I see." Don't miss the Glory of brand new eyes because of what people might say, or what you think might happen! Believing is SEEING!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
April Fool!
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32
Did you get anybody "good" for April Fools? This year, I was too busy, with it being Sunday and all, but I have a great triumph which occurred some time back. A few weeks before this particular April 1, we had had a rat get in the house. Not a mouse - a RAT, roughly the size of a wildebeest. I tried to swat it with a broom, might as well have been with spaghetti. Options were discussed - burning down the house with everything in it seemed extreme. Slightly.
So traps and poison were dutifully placed, and soon peace was restored.
Then came the fateful day. My son, then about 6 or 7, wanted to "get" his mother by telling her he saw another "wildebeest", but I thought a more active approach was called for. He and I were in the kitchen, and she was at the other end of the house, but could see and hear us. I squawked, jumped across the room, grabbed the broom and started swatting the floor. I heard a most satisfying squeal, and saw my bride - as genteel and ladylike person as you could ever want to meet - scrambling as high up on the furniture as humanly possible. If she had had any heart defects, I'm certain I would have been a widower that day. And if she had been naturally vengeful, she would have shortly been on trial for her life, although I'm not sure a jury would have convicted her. Isn't there a "Justifiable Homicide" option?
Actually, I'm pretty sure she's forgiven me, but to be on the safe side, I don't talk about it a lot. When I do, I wisely point out the Forgiveness Clause in our faith, since I'm thinking Divine Intervention is a key factor in my continued safety.
Exaggeration? Yeah, a little bit. But there is a Forgiveness Clause, and a pretty important one at that.
“For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins. Matthew 6:14-15, NET Bible
With God, mercy is a two way street. Our "heartedness", whether hard or tender, has a direct correlation to His attitude toward us. That's something definitely worth thinking about this Easter season, no "fooling". See you in church!
Did you get anybody "good" for April Fools? This year, I was too busy, with it being Sunday and all, but I have a great triumph which occurred some time back. A few weeks before this particular April 1, we had had a rat get in the house. Not a mouse - a RAT, roughly the size of a wildebeest. I tried to swat it with a broom, might as well have been with spaghetti. Options were discussed - burning down the house with everything in it seemed extreme. Slightly.
So traps and poison were dutifully placed, and soon peace was restored.
Then came the fateful day. My son, then about 6 or 7, wanted to "get" his mother by telling her he saw another "wildebeest", but I thought a more active approach was called for. He and I were in the kitchen, and she was at the other end of the house, but could see and hear us. I squawked, jumped across the room, grabbed the broom and started swatting the floor. I heard a most satisfying squeal, and saw my bride - as genteel and ladylike person as you could ever want to meet - scrambling as high up on the furniture as humanly possible. If she had had any heart defects, I'm certain I would have been a widower that day. And if she had been naturally vengeful, she would have shortly been on trial for her life, although I'm not sure a jury would have convicted her. Isn't there a "Justifiable Homicide" option?
Actually, I'm pretty sure she's forgiven me, but to be on the safe side, I don't talk about it a lot. When I do, I wisely point out the Forgiveness Clause in our faith, since I'm thinking Divine Intervention is a key factor in my continued safety.
Exaggeration? Yeah, a little bit. But there is a Forgiveness Clause, and a pretty important one at that.
“For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins. Matthew 6:14-15, NET Bible
With God, mercy is a two way street. Our "heartedness", whether hard or tender, has a direct correlation to His attitude toward us. That's something definitely worth thinking about this Easter season, no "fooling". See you in church!
Three Sixteen
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
There were a lot of people who got chills down their back when the numbers for Tebow's Game (Broncos vs. Steelers) came out. 316 yards passing, 31.6 average yards per pass, television rating for the last quarter 31.6. How many of them had been mockingly "Tebowing", joking or complaining about the sincere faith of a young sports hero? They will throw around words like "coincidental" and "unbelievable" to quiet their fears that God might really have helped him win a football game - and maybe He did. Albert Einstein - yes, THAT Albert Einstein - once wrote, "Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous". In this case, I think that "coincidence" was God's way of stripping off the mask and stepping out of the shadows for untold numbers of people.
You may well ask, why would the God of Galaxies be concerned with the outcome of a fleeting sporting event or the success of one player on that Saturday night?
Because there's another statistic that bears mentioning. The day after the Game, the top search item on the internet (some say in the millions) was John 3:16. Millions of people looking for a Bible verse, a particular verse that some of us know as "The Gospel in a Nutshell", a verse that spells out the heart of God for all humanity.
What did they find, those millions? Not religious wordiness. Not theological treatises. Not Commandments or Regulations. They found a Man, telling us about His mission AND the motivation for it.
Why did He come? Because of love. What was His purpose? To give life. Who was it for? Whosoever.
And I just know that when those millions saw that sentence, God's Holy Spirit went to work, giving revelation, drawing with hope, moving toward decision. Will there be people in Heaven because of all this? I will be very surprised if there aren't! The Word of God is powerful, transformational, attractional. Read it at your own risk, because God still speaks, still calls out to the lost, still changes lives.
But what about Tim? Why him of all people? He's not the only - or even the first - religious or Christian player. He's not the most high profile or greatest quarterback. It's simple, really. God put him in the right place at the right time because he was the right man, and God says ...for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 1 Samuel 2:30
Good job, Tim. I can't wait to see what happens next!
There were a lot of people who got chills down their back when the numbers for Tebow's Game (Broncos vs. Steelers) came out. 316 yards passing, 31.6 average yards per pass, television rating for the last quarter 31.6. How many of them had been mockingly "Tebowing", joking or complaining about the sincere faith of a young sports hero? They will throw around words like "coincidental" and "unbelievable" to quiet their fears that God might really have helped him win a football game - and maybe He did. Albert Einstein - yes, THAT Albert Einstein - once wrote, "Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous". In this case, I think that "coincidence" was God's way of stripping off the mask and stepping out of the shadows for untold numbers of people.
You may well ask, why would the God of Galaxies be concerned with the outcome of a fleeting sporting event or the success of one player on that Saturday night?
Because there's another statistic that bears mentioning. The day after the Game, the top search item on the internet (some say in the millions) was John 3:16. Millions of people looking for a Bible verse, a particular verse that some of us know as "The Gospel in a Nutshell", a verse that spells out the heart of God for all humanity.
What did they find, those millions? Not religious wordiness. Not theological treatises. Not Commandments or Regulations. They found a Man, telling us about His mission AND the motivation for it.
Why did He come? Because of love. What was His purpose? To give life. Who was it for? Whosoever.
And I just know that when those millions saw that sentence, God's Holy Spirit went to work, giving revelation, drawing with hope, moving toward decision. Will there be people in Heaven because of all this? I will be very surprised if there aren't! The Word of God is powerful, transformational, attractional. Read it at your own risk, because God still speaks, still calls out to the lost, still changes lives.
But what about Tim? Why him of all people? He's not the only - or even the first - religious or Christian player. He's not the most high profile or greatest quarterback. It's simple, really. God put him in the right place at the right time because he was the right man, and God says ...for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 1 Samuel 2:30
Good job, Tim. I can't wait to see what happens next!
Friday, March 16, 2012
Who Was That Masked Man?
Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” Matthew 16:13
Ever wonder what people are really thinking about you? Yeah, me too, but I'm not sure I really want to know. I'm afraid it might be a little ... humbling. Or even worse, accurate.
Of course, Jesus didn't have the problem you and I have: ...and [Jesus] needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man. John 2:25 But He did ask, probably because He knew it was weighing upon the hearts of these, His closest companions. So they proceeded with the scuttlebutt.
Remember the classroom game called "Gossip"? Teacher would write down a short message, then whisper it in the first kid's ear, who would then whisper it to the next, who would do the same until everyone in the group had passed it on. The last kid would say aloud what he had been told and they would compare it with the original, revealing their serious lack of communication skills - or maybe their fitness for a career in TV journalism! That's kind of what it looks like happened in the public forum. Zombie John the Baptist. Reincarnated Elijah/Jeremiah. Recycled Prophets. And those were probably just the most popular theories! No telling what else was making the rounds.
But then He asked them about their opinion.
The ones who spend the most time with you know you best. They say that if you really want to get to know someone, take a trip with them. After three days in a car, you'll know more than you ever wanted to! And His disciples had been walking, talking watching, and working with Him, 24/7 for months! If there were any peccadilloes or shortcomings, this would have been a great time to bring them up, but no...
Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:16
I wonder if Pete had ever put it into words before. I have no doubt he'd been thinking it. No hemming. No hawing. Just blunt Truth, straight from the Father's heart to Pete's mouth. Revelation, pure and simple.
Christ - the Anointed One, specially chosen and equipped to perfectly fulfill the eternal plan of God the Father and to fill up the measure of God's prophetic word throughout the ages.
Son - in the Hebrew/Aramaic (probably the vernacular Pete was speaking in) it meant "Builder", so a Son was "building" the future for his Father.
living God - not of stone, metal, or memory, but Alive, Active, and Personal.
And Revelation like we all must come to. True Christianity is not rote religion or dusty philosophy. It's Relationship. The living God of Pete's confession is still around, still looking for worshipers in Spirit and Truth, and still revealing Himself in real and personal ways. When you get right down to it, until and unless you know Him, you're part of the speculating crowd, ignorant of the REAL Jesus. Good news, though: You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
Seek Him today, He really wants you to find Him!
Ever wonder what people are really thinking about you? Yeah, me too, but I'm not sure I really want to know. I'm afraid it might be a little ... humbling. Or even worse, accurate.
Of course, Jesus didn't have the problem you and I have: ...and [Jesus] needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man. John 2:25 But He did ask, probably because He knew it was weighing upon the hearts of these, His closest companions. So they proceeded with the scuttlebutt.
Remember the classroom game called "Gossip"? Teacher would write down a short message, then whisper it in the first kid's ear, who would then whisper it to the next, who would do the same until everyone in the group had passed it on. The last kid would say aloud what he had been told and they would compare it with the original, revealing their serious lack of communication skills - or maybe their fitness for a career in TV journalism! That's kind of what it looks like happened in the public forum. Zombie John the Baptist. Reincarnated Elijah/Jeremiah. Recycled Prophets. And those were probably just the most popular theories! No telling what else was making the rounds.
But then He asked them about their opinion.
The ones who spend the most time with you know you best. They say that if you really want to get to know someone, take a trip with them. After three days in a car, you'll know more than you ever wanted to! And His disciples had been walking, talking watching, and working with Him, 24/7 for months! If there were any peccadilloes or shortcomings, this would have been a great time to bring them up, but no...
Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:16
I wonder if Pete had ever put it into words before. I have no doubt he'd been thinking it. No hemming. No hawing. Just blunt Truth, straight from the Father's heart to Pete's mouth. Revelation, pure and simple.
Christ - the Anointed One, specially chosen and equipped to perfectly fulfill the eternal plan of God the Father and to fill up the measure of God's prophetic word throughout the ages.
Son - in the Hebrew/Aramaic (probably the vernacular Pete was speaking in) it meant "Builder", so a Son was "building" the future for his Father.
living God - not of stone, metal, or memory, but Alive, Active, and Personal.
And Revelation like we all must come to. True Christianity is not rote religion or dusty philosophy. It's Relationship. The living God of Pete's confession is still around, still looking for worshipers in Spirit and Truth, and still revealing Himself in real and personal ways. When you get right down to it, until and unless you know Him, you're part of the speculating crowd, ignorant of the REAL Jesus. Good news, though: You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
Seek Him today, He really wants you to find Him!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
STAR in a Bible Study
Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
Kim Kardashian: "I Want to Start a Bible Study" http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/
I wasn't looking for Kim when I saw this, but it certainly caught my eye. These weren't words I ever expected to see together, and my first response was less than charitable: "Oh, she wants to STAR in a Bible Study, like she STARRED in a wedding, and STARRED in the TV show about her family, etc." But I quickly had to make use of that "second think" that I had coming. You know, "If you think that, you've got a "second think" coming!"
Truth is, if she and her friends come to the Word of God, I know it would have tremendous impact on them - and on their spheres of influence, and may be the very reason she has become so prominent in the entertainment industry, without demonstrating any talent beyond her appearance and her fame:
...And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14)
After all, Esther - a name that means "Star" - reached a high position based pretty much on her looks, and from there God used her mightily. So, second thought now thunk!
Of course, I have known people who wanted to be the "star" of a home Bible study/cell group/church. They couldn't wait to be noticed for their erudition, education, elocution or whatever. They can't seem to hear -or heed - the warning from Jesus Himself: "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. (Matthew 6:5)
Then again, maybe more of us should be alert to this kind of pseudo-religion in our own lives! The all-too-common hypocrisy of wanting to appear pious while doing nothing about a filthy heart and mind is a pretense we can never afford. Father, guard me from selfish ambitions and fake religious activity!
But back to Kim. Go for it, girl! For when you search for God with all your heart, He will surely find you! We're praying for you now, and I for one hope you will shine like Esther and find success with eternal implications.
Kim Kardashian: "I Want to Start a Bible Study" http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/
I wasn't looking for Kim when I saw this, but it certainly caught my eye. These weren't words I ever expected to see together, and my first response was less than charitable: "Oh, she wants to STAR in a Bible Study, like she STARRED in a wedding, and STARRED in the TV show about her family, etc." But I quickly had to make use of that "second think" that I had coming. You know, "If you think that, you've got a "second think" coming!"
Truth is, if she and her friends come to the Word of God, I know it would have tremendous impact on them - and on their spheres of influence, and may be the very reason she has become so prominent in the entertainment industry, without demonstrating any talent beyond her appearance and her fame:
...And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14)
After all, Esther - a name that means "Star" - reached a high position based pretty much on her looks, and from there God used her mightily. So, second thought now thunk!
Of course, I have known people who wanted to be the "star" of a home Bible study/cell group/church. They couldn't wait to be noticed for their erudition, education, elocution or whatever. They can't seem to hear -or heed - the warning from Jesus Himself: "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. (Matthew 6:5)
Then again, maybe more of us should be alert to this kind of pseudo-religion in our own lives! The all-too-common hypocrisy of wanting to appear pious while doing nothing about a filthy heart and mind is a pretense we can never afford. Father, guard me from selfish ambitions and fake religious activity!
But back to Kim. Go for it, girl! For when you search for God with all your heart, He will surely find you! We're praying for you now, and I for one hope you will shine like Esther and find success with eternal implications.
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