Philippians 4:
Therefore, my beloved and longed for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.
I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be the same mind in the Lord. And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel when I departed from Macedonia,no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Greet ever saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar's household.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen
Thursday, January 31, 2019
When God Whispers Your Name Chapter 6 Questions
Chapter 6:
Points to Ponder
" If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior."
1.) Do you agree that our greatest need was forgiveness?
2.) Explain why you think this true.
" He became like us, so we could become like him."
1.) In what way did He become like us?
2.) In what way can we become like Him?
Wisdom from the Word:
Read Matthew 1:18-2:12. If you were to write a commercial Christmas card message based on this passage, what element of the story would you highlight? Why?
Read Luke 2:1-20. If you were to write a commercial Christmas card message based on this passage, what element of the story would highlight? Why?
Points to Ponder
" If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior."
1.) Do you agree that our greatest need was forgiveness?
2.) Explain why you think this true.
" He became like us, so we could become like him."
1.) In what way did He become like us?
2.) In what way can we become like Him?
Wisdom from the Word:
Read Matthew 1:18-2:12. If you were to write a commercial Christmas card message based on this passage, what element of the story would you highlight? Why?
Read Luke 2:1-20. If you were to write a commercial Christmas card message based on this passage, what element of the story would highlight? Why?
When God Whispers Your Name Chapter 6
god's Christmas Cards:
I'm monitoring my mailbox.
I don't usually spend time looking at it, but I am today. I don't want it to fall. Just a few days ago that wasn't a concern--but that was before the construction crew started clearing the lot across the street. And that was before the gravel-truck driver forgot to look in his rear view mirror.
Clunk.
So today our mailbox is upright again, propped up by three two-by-four on three sides. Not too attractive, but functional.
Strange what you think about while posting an eye on the postal receptacle. As I gaze at it, it occurs to me that the mailbox is a lot like a bus terminal--a turnstile for the good and the bad, the wanted and the unwanted. Just for fun, I'm making a list of letters I hope I never receive. ( Well, what do you think about when you're watching a box on a pole?)
Here's what I've written so far:
Dear Dad,
I'm writing to ask if there is a limitation to the number of cars our liability insurance covers...
Dear Max,
You know last summer when you broke the vase my Uncle Bill had left me? Remember I told you a hundred bucks would be fine, but you insisted I get it appraised? Well, boy, am I glad you did. I hope you are sitting down because the museum's curator of thirteenth-century art says...
Mr. Lucado,
The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the purebred puppy you were sending to Oakland, California, was inadvertently sent to Auckland, New Zealand...
Dear Max,
So why am I writing after all these years? Well, it seems that the university made a mistake. They swapped our transcripts. Isn't that a hoot? And all these years I thought I graduated by the skin of my teeth. And all these years you thought you were summa cum laude!
Dear Mrs. Lucado,
Recently you purchased from us a home pregnancy diagnostic kit. We are writing to inform you that there was a mistake in the instructions, and what you thought you were, you aren't, and what you thought you weren't, you are....
Groan.
I've never read any scientific data on it, but it seems to me that the unnecessary mail has the necessary mail outnumbered. ( Maybe you are like me and you sort your mail over a trash can. Maybe you are like me and wonder if there is anything in the world that doesn't have its own catalog. If you are a left-handed, right-winged, Ivy-League fan of jazz music, there is probably an underwear catalog just for you .)
Most mail is unnecessary. So why I am repairing my box?
Simple. It's December.
Were it any other time of the year, I might leave it on its side. Let the postman hang on to my bills for a few days. But I can't do that. Not this time of the year. Not December. Not the week before Christmas!
This is the week that mail is fun. This is the week of red envelopes, green stamps, and Christmas tree stickers. This is the week when your old roomie who married Hazel and moved to Phoenix writes to tell you their fourth child is on the way. This is the week of front-and-back newsletters describing the Grand canyon, graduations, and gallbladder surgeries.
So, as much for me as the mailman, I propped up the box.
Only a Scrooge doesn't want a Christmas card.
Some are funny. Got one today with elves pulling books off the "elf-help" shelf.
Others are touching, like the illustration of Mother Mary and the baby resting at the base of the Egyptian sphinx.
And a few are unforgettable. Every Christmas I read this reminder that came in the mail several years ago:
If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior.
Christmas cards. Punctuated promises. Phrases filled with the reason we do it all anyway.
He became like us, so we could become like him.
Angels still sing and the star still beckons.
He loves each one of us like there was only one of us to love.
Long after the sender's name is forgotten, the card's message lingers. Words of promise. A handful of seeds and syllables flung upon the fertile soil of December with hope of fruit born in July. For that reason, I keep the mailbox up.
My heart can use all the seeds it can get.
I'm monitoring my mailbox.
I don't usually spend time looking at it, but I am today. I don't want it to fall. Just a few days ago that wasn't a concern--but that was before the construction crew started clearing the lot across the street. And that was before the gravel-truck driver forgot to look in his rear view mirror.
Clunk.
So today our mailbox is upright again, propped up by three two-by-four on three sides. Not too attractive, but functional.
Strange what you think about while posting an eye on the postal receptacle. As I gaze at it, it occurs to me that the mailbox is a lot like a bus terminal--a turnstile for the good and the bad, the wanted and the unwanted. Just for fun, I'm making a list of letters I hope I never receive. ( Well, what do you think about when you're watching a box on a pole?)
Here's what I've written so far:
Dear Dad,
I'm writing to ask if there is a limitation to the number of cars our liability insurance covers...
Dear Max,
You know last summer when you broke the vase my Uncle Bill had left me? Remember I told you a hundred bucks would be fine, but you insisted I get it appraised? Well, boy, am I glad you did. I hope you are sitting down because the museum's curator of thirteenth-century art says...
Mr. Lucado,
The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the purebred puppy you were sending to Oakland, California, was inadvertently sent to Auckland, New Zealand...
Dear Max,
So why am I writing after all these years? Well, it seems that the university made a mistake. They swapped our transcripts. Isn't that a hoot? And all these years I thought I graduated by the skin of my teeth. And all these years you thought you were summa cum laude!
Dear Mrs. Lucado,
Recently you purchased from us a home pregnancy diagnostic kit. We are writing to inform you that there was a mistake in the instructions, and what you thought you were, you aren't, and what you thought you weren't, you are....
Groan.
I've never read any scientific data on it, but it seems to me that the unnecessary mail has the necessary mail outnumbered. ( Maybe you are like me and you sort your mail over a trash can. Maybe you are like me and wonder if there is anything in the world that doesn't have its own catalog. If you are a left-handed, right-winged, Ivy-League fan of jazz music, there is probably an underwear catalog just for you .)
Most mail is unnecessary. So why I am repairing my box?
Simple. It's December.
Were it any other time of the year, I might leave it on its side. Let the postman hang on to my bills for a few days. But I can't do that. Not this time of the year. Not December. Not the week before Christmas!
This is the week that mail is fun. This is the week of red envelopes, green stamps, and Christmas tree stickers. This is the week when your old roomie who married Hazel and moved to Phoenix writes to tell you their fourth child is on the way. This is the week of front-and-back newsletters describing the Grand canyon, graduations, and gallbladder surgeries.
So, as much for me as the mailman, I propped up the box.
Only a Scrooge doesn't want a Christmas card.
Some are funny. Got one today with elves pulling books off the "elf-help" shelf.
Others are touching, like the illustration of Mother Mary and the baby resting at the base of the Egyptian sphinx.
And a few are unforgettable. Every Christmas I read this reminder that came in the mail several years ago:
If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior.
Christmas cards. Punctuated promises. Phrases filled with the reason we do it all anyway.
He became like us, so we could become like him.
Angels still sing and the star still beckons.
He loves each one of us like there was only one of us to love.
Long after the sender's name is forgotten, the card's message lingers. Words of promise. A handful of seeds and syllables flung upon the fertile soil of December with hope of fruit born in July. For that reason, I keep the mailbox up.
My heart can use all the seeds it can get.
Diary of a Destiny
Keeping a Journal:
When I was in distress, I sought the Lord, at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted.
I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint. You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak.
I thought about the former days, the years of long ago; I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart mused and my spirit inquired: " Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again?
" Had his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time?
" Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?"
Then I thought, " To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High,"
I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.
Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?
Scripture: Psalm 77:2-13
Defining Moments:
When life is right on top of you, when you're wrestling with every detail of your current concerns and troubles, it's hard to imagine a day in the future when you won't be able to recall the way you feel right now or remember how difficult this certain decision was. More importantly, it seems impossible that you won't reflect on how God met you in your misery, pulling you through at the last minute, in ways you never expected.
But that day will come. And with it another new challenge, perhaps different but no less imposing, no less complex than the situation before.
Then one morning, your stomach in a knot, you'll pull out your personal journal, flip to a page dated two or three years back, and be suddenly transported to another time and place, to another crossroads conflict that seemed so huge at the time. Wow, you'd almost forgotten about it. Look how desperate you were. Feel the pain in your words. And remember the faithfulness of God--the God who's still here, to deal with the pressure that's so fresh today. Don't you feel better now?
Next Up:
Worship looks as good in your weekday outfits as it does in your Sunday clothes. Praising God through the day will dress up the way you think, act, and feel.
Trust the ones who've walked this way before. You'll be so glad you kept a record of your journey.
" Informed by the past, we can speak to God with specific hopes for the future, and with certain assurances about the present."
-Welton Gaddy
When I was in distress, I sought the Lord, at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted.
I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint. You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak.
I thought about the former days, the years of long ago; I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart mused and my spirit inquired: " Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again?
" Had his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time?
" Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?"
Then I thought, " To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High,"
I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.
Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?
Scripture: Psalm 77:2-13
Defining Moments:
When life is right on top of you, when you're wrestling with every detail of your current concerns and troubles, it's hard to imagine a day in the future when you won't be able to recall the way you feel right now or remember how difficult this certain decision was. More importantly, it seems impossible that you won't reflect on how God met you in your misery, pulling you through at the last minute, in ways you never expected.
But that day will come. And with it another new challenge, perhaps different but no less imposing, no less complex than the situation before.
Then one morning, your stomach in a knot, you'll pull out your personal journal, flip to a page dated two or three years back, and be suddenly transported to another time and place, to another crossroads conflict that seemed so huge at the time. Wow, you'd almost forgotten about it. Look how desperate you were. Feel the pain in your words. And remember the faithfulness of God--the God who's still here, to deal with the pressure that's so fresh today. Don't you feel better now?
Next Up:
Worship looks as good in your weekday outfits as it does in your Sunday clothes. Praising God through the day will dress up the way you think, act, and feel.
Trust the ones who've walked this way before. You'll be so glad you kept a record of your journey.
" Informed by the past, we can speak to God with specific hopes for the future, and with certain assurances about the present."
-Welton Gaddy
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
All for Christ
Philippians 3:
Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.
Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of mutilation! For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church: concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Therefore, let us, as many as are mature have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.
Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame--who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
When God Whispers Your Name Chapter 5 Questions
Chapter 5:
Points to Ponder:
" We learn brevity from Jesus. His greatest sermon can be read in eight minutes. His best-known story can be read in ninety seconds. He summarized prayer in five phrases. He silenced accusers with one challenge. He rescued a soul with one sentence. He summarized the Law in three verses and reduced all his teachings to one command. He made his point and went home."
1.) What is so powerful about brevity? What can make it so effective?
2.) Which of Max's maxims in this chapter most struck a chord in you? Why?
Wisdom from the Word
1.) Read Luke 15:11-32. Why do you think this is Jesus' best known story? What makes it so powerful?
2.) Read Matthew 6:9-13. List the elements of prayer found in this passage. Do you use these elements in your own prayer life? Explain.
3.) Read Mark 12:29-31. How do these commands summarize all the Bible's teaching? How do they fit together?
Points to Ponder:
" We learn brevity from Jesus. His greatest sermon can be read in eight minutes. His best-known story can be read in ninety seconds. He summarized prayer in five phrases. He silenced accusers with one challenge. He rescued a soul with one sentence. He summarized the Law in three verses and reduced all his teachings to one command. He made his point and went home."
1.) What is so powerful about brevity? What can make it so effective?
2.) Which of Max's maxims in this chapter most struck a chord in you? Why?
Wisdom from the Word
1.) Read Luke 15:11-32. Why do you think this is Jesus' best known story? What makes it so powerful?
2.) Read Matthew 6:9-13. List the elements of prayer found in this passage. Do you use these elements in your own prayer life? Explain.
3.) Read Mark 12:29-31. How do these commands summarize all the Bible's teaching? How do they fit together?
When God Whispers Your Name Chapter 5
Maxims:
Here's a Toast to the simple sentence.
Here's a salute to one-liners.
Join me in applauding the delete key and the eraser.
May the feast on the trimmings of the writer's table.
I believe in brevity. Cut the fat and keep the fact. Give us words to chew on, not words to wade through. Thoughts that spark, not lines that drag. More periods. Fewer commas.
Distill it.
Barebone it.
Bareknuckle it.
Concise ( but not cute). Clear ( but not shallow). Vivid ( but not detailed.) That's good writing. That's good reading. But that's hard work!
But, it's what we like. We appreciate the chef who cuts the gristle before he serves the steak. We salute the communicator who does the same.
Ahhh, brevity. An art apparently unheeded in the realms of insurance brochures and some-assembly-required bicycle manuals.
We learn brevity from Jesus. His greatest sermon can be read in eight minutes ( Matthew 5-7). His best know story can be read in ninety seconds ( Luke 15:11-32). He summarized prayer in five phrases ( Matthew 6:9-13). He silenced accusers with one challenge ( John 8:7). He rescued a soul with one sentence ( Luke 23:43). He summarized the Law in three verses ( Mark 12:29-31)., and he reduced all his teachings to one command ( John 15:12).
He made his point and went home.
We preachers would do well to imitate. ( What's that old line? " Our speaker today needs no introduction, but he could use a conclusion.")
I believe in brevity. I believe that you, the reader, entrust me, the writer, with your most valued commodity--your time. I shouldn't take more than my share. For that reason, I love the short sentence. Big-time game it is. Hiding in the jungle of circular construction and six syllable canyons. As I write, I hunt. And when I find, I shoot. Then I drag the treasure out of the trees and marvel.
Not all of my prey make their way into chapters. So what becomes of them? I save them. But I can't keep them to myself. So, may I invite you to see my trophy case! What follows are cuts from this book and a couple of others. Keep the ones you like. Forgive the ones you don't. Share them when you can. But if you do, keep it brief.
Pray all the time. If necessary, use words.
Sacrilege is to feel guilt for sins forgiven.
God forgets the past. Imitate him.
Greed I've often regretted. Generosity--never.
Never miss a chance to read a child a story.
Pursue forgiveness, not innocence.
Be doubly kind to the people who bring your food or park your car.
In buying a gift for you wife, practicality can be more expensive than extravagance.
Don't ask God to do what you want. Ask God to do what is right.
Nails didn't hold God to a cross. Love did.
You'll give up on yourself before God will.
Know answered prayer when you see it, and don't give up when you don't.
Flattery is fancy dishonesty.
The right heart with the wrong creed is better than the right creed with the wrong heart.
We treat others as we perceive God is treating us.
Sometimes the most godly thing we can do is take a day off.
Faith in the future begets power in the present.
No one is useless to God. No one.
Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional.
You will never forgive anyone more than God has already forgiven you.
Succeed in what matters.
You'll regret opening your mouth. You'll rarely regret keeping it shut.
To see sin without grace is despair. To see grace without sin is arrogance. To see them in tandem is conversion.
Faith is the gift in the soul that puts the dare into dreams.
God doesn't keep a clock.
Never underestimate a gesture of affection.
When Jesus went home, he left the front door open.
And to sum it up:
As soon as you can, pay your debts.
As long as you can, give the benefit of the doubt.
As much as you can, give thanks. He's already given us more than we deserve.
Here's a Toast to the simple sentence.
Here's a salute to one-liners.
Join me in applauding the delete key and the eraser.
May the feast on the trimmings of the writer's table.
I believe in brevity. Cut the fat and keep the fact. Give us words to chew on, not words to wade through. Thoughts that spark, not lines that drag. More periods. Fewer commas.
Distill it.
Barebone it.
Bareknuckle it.
Concise ( but not cute). Clear ( but not shallow). Vivid ( but not detailed.) That's good writing. That's good reading. But that's hard work!
But, it's what we like. We appreciate the chef who cuts the gristle before he serves the steak. We salute the communicator who does the same.
Ahhh, brevity. An art apparently unheeded in the realms of insurance brochures and some-assembly-required bicycle manuals.
We learn brevity from Jesus. His greatest sermon can be read in eight minutes ( Matthew 5-7). His best know story can be read in ninety seconds ( Luke 15:11-32). He summarized prayer in five phrases ( Matthew 6:9-13). He silenced accusers with one challenge ( John 8:7). He rescued a soul with one sentence ( Luke 23:43). He summarized the Law in three verses ( Mark 12:29-31)., and he reduced all his teachings to one command ( John 15:12).
He made his point and went home.
We preachers would do well to imitate. ( What's that old line? " Our speaker today needs no introduction, but he could use a conclusion.")
I believe in brevity. I believe that you, the reader, entrust me, the writer, with your most valued commodity--your time. I shouldn't take more than my share. For that reason, I love the short sentence. Big-time game it is. Hiding in the jungle of circular construction and six syllable canyons. As I write, I hunt. And when I find, I shoot. Then I drag the treasure out of the trees and marvel.
Not all of my prey make their way into chapters. So what becomes of them? I save them. But I can't keep them to myself. So, may I invite you to see my trophy case! What follows are cuts from this book and a couple of others. Keep the ones you like. Forgive the ones you don't. Share them when you can. But if you do, keep it brief.
Pray all the time. If necessary, use words.
Sacrilege is to feel guilt for sins forgiven.
God forgets the past. Imitate him.
Greed I've often regretted. Generosity--never.
Never miss a chance to read a child a story.
Pursue forgiveness, not innocence.
Be doubly kind to the people who bring your food or park your car.
In buying a gift for you wife, practicality can be more expensive than extravagance.
Don't ask God to do what you want. Ask God to do what is right.
Nails didn't hold God to a cross. Love did.
You'll give up on yourself before God will.
Know answered prayer when you see it, and don't give up when you don't.
Flattery is fancy dishonesty.
The right heart with the wrong creed is better than the right creed with the wrong heart.
We treat others as we perceive God is treating us.
Sometimes the most godly thing we can do is take a day off.
Faith in the future begets power in the present.
No one is useless to God. No one.
Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional.
You will never forgive anyone more than God has already forgiven you.
Succeed in what matters.
You'll regret opening your mouth. You'll rarely regret keeping it shut.
To see sin without grace is despair. To see grace without sin is arrogance. To see them in tandem is conversion.
Faith is the gift in the soul that puts the dare into dreams.
God doesn't keep a clock.
Never underestimate a gesture of affection.
When Jesus went home, he left the front door open.
And to sum it up:
As soon as you can, pay your debts.
As long as you can, give the benefit of the doubt.
As much as you can, give thanks. He's already given us more than we deserve.
Anytime, Anyplace
Prayer:
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: " In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town there who kept coming to him with the plea, ' Grant me justice against my adversary."
" For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ' Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!"
And the Lord said..." Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you he will see that they get justice, and quickly...."
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him....
" Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will e opened to you."
Scripture: Luke 18:1-8; 1 John 5:14-15; Matthew 7:7
Defining Moments:
Praying comes to us pretty naturally when we accidentally start a grease fire on the stove or get caught out on the the lake in a lightning storm. But those who only know the number to God's 911 hotline are missing out on the simple pleasure of picking up the phone anytime they feel like it-day or night, weekends or holidays--and sharing their hearts with someone who always has the time to listen.
Prayer is so many things and can take so many forms. It can be repeating a Bible verse that thanks God for His mercy or reassures you of His faithfulness. It can be your usual laundry list of family members and friends who need God's touch so much. It can be a request, a praise. A smile, a tear. Eyes closed, eyes open. Just you and Him.
So begin committing yourself to the practice of prayer--even when things are going smoothly, even when you feel like you've got everything under control. In prayer, He will lead you by the hand into His very presence and walk beside you every step of the way.
Next Up:
Prayer helps you put your thoughts into words, to sense the deep love of the Father. But journaling makes sure your conversation doesn't disappear into thin air.
Developing an attitude of prayer will change you from an aimless wanderer to a mighty warrior.
" The powers of the eternal world have been placed at prayer's disposal. It is the essence of true religion, the channel of all blessings."
--Andrew Murray
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: " In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town there who kept coming to him with the plea, ' Grant me justice against my adversary."
" For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ' Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!"
And the Lord said..." Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you he will see that they get justice, and quickly...."
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him....
" Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will e opened to you."
Scripture: Luke 18:1-8; 1 John 5:14-15; Matthew 7:7
Defining Moments:
Praying comes to us pretty naturally when we accidentally start a grease fire on the stove or get caught out on the the lake in a lightning storm. But those who only know the number to God's 911 hotline are missing out on the simple pleasure of picking up the phone anytime they feel like it-day or night, weekends or holidays--and sharing their hearts with someone who always has the time to listen.
Prayer is so many things and can take so many forms. It can be repeating a Bible verse that thanks God for His mercy or reassures you of His faithfulness. It can be your usual laundry list of family members and friends who need God's touch so much. It can be a request, a praise. A smile, a tear. Eyes closed, eyes open. Just you and Him.
So begin committing yourself to the practice of prayer--even when things are going smoothly, even when you feel like you've got everything under control. In prayer, He will lead you by the hand into His very presence and walk beside you every step of the way.
Next Up:
Prayer helps you put your thoughts into words, to sense the deep love of the Father. But journaling makes sure your conversation doesn't disappear into thin air.
Developing an attitude of prayer will change you from an aimless wanderer to a mighty warrior.
" The powers of the eternal world have been placed at prayer's disposal. It is the essence of true religion, the channel of all blessings."
--Andrew Murray
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
When God Whispers Your Name Chapter 4 Questions
Chapter 4:
You Might've Been in the Bible
Points to Ponder:
" In evangelism the Holy Spirit is on center stage. If the disciple teaches, it is because the Spirit teaches the disciple ( Luke 12:22). If the listener is convicted, it is because the Spirit penetrated ( John 16:10). If the listener is converted, it is by the transforming power of the Spirit ( Romans 8:11)."
1.) How have you seen the Holy Spirit at work in your own life in the process of evangelism?
2.) What difference does it make to you that the Holy Spirit is at work alongside you in evangelism?
" You have the same Spirit working with you that Philip did. Some of you don't believe me. You're still cautious."
1.) How is the Spirit's working in your life the same as it was in Philip's? How is it different?
2.) Are you one of the " cautious" ones? Explain.
Wisdom from the Word
1.) Read Acts 8:26-40. List the steps Philip took, directed by the Spirit. What principles of effective evangelism can you glean from this passage? e?Which ones do you use? Which ones don't use? Explain.
2.) Read Romans 8:13-14; Galatians 5:16-18. What do these passages teach about the leading of the Spirit? What is promised? What warnings are given?
You Might've Been in the Bible
Points to Ponder:
" In evangelism the Holy Spirit is on center stage. If the disciple teaches, it is because the Spirit teaches the disciple ( Luke 12:22). If the listener is convicted, it is because the Spirit penetrated ( John 16:10). If the listener is converted, it is by the transforming power of the Spirit ( Romans 8:11)."
1.) How have you seen the Holy Spirit at work in your own life in the process of evangelism?
2.) What difference does it make to you that the Holy Spirit is at work alongside you in evangelism?
" You have the same Spirit working with you that Philip did. Some of you don't believe me. You're still cautious."
1.) How is the Spirit's working in your life the same as it was in Philip's? How is it different?
2.) Are you one of the " cautious" ones? Explain.
Wisdom from the Word
1.) Read Acts 8:26-40. List the steps Philip took, directed by the Spirit. What principles of effective evangelism can you glean from this passage? e?Which ones do you use? Which ones don't use? Explain.
2.) Read Romans 8:13-14; Galatians 5:16-18. What do these passages teach about the leading of the Spirit? What is promised? What warnings are given?
You Might've Been in the Bible
Chapter 4:
There Are a few stories in the Bible where everything turns out right. This is one. It has three characters.
The first is Philip--a disciple in the early church who had a penchant for lost people. One day he was instructed by God to go to the road that leads to Gaza from Jerusalem. It was a desert road. He went. When he arrived he came upon a ruler from Ethiopia.
Must have been a bit intimidating for Philip. It would be similar to your hopping on a motor scooter and following the secretary of the treasury. At a stoplight you notice he is reading the Bible, and you volunteer your services.
That is what Philip did.
" DO you understand what you are reading?"
" How can I unless someone explains it to me?"
And so Philip did. They have a Bible study in the chariot. The study is so convincing that the Ethiopian is baptized that day. And then they separate. Philip goes one way, and the Ethiopian goes another. The story has a happy ending. Philip teaches, the Ethiopian obeys, and the gospel is sent to Africa.
But that's not all the story. Remember I said there were three characters. The first was Philip; the second was the Ethiopian. Did you see the third? There is one. Read these verses and take note.
" An angel of the Lord said to Philip, ' Get ready and go south....' So Philip got ready and went" ( Acts 8: 26-27).
" The Spirit said to Philip, ' Go to that chariot and stay near it.' So...Philip ran toward the chariot" ( Acts 8:29-30).
The third character? God! God sent the angel. The Holy Spirit instructed Philip; God orchestrated the entire moment! He saw this godly man coming from Ethiopia to worship. He saw his confusion. So he decided to resolve it.
He looked in Jerusalem for a man he could send. He found Philip.
Our typical response when we read these verses is to think Philip was a special guy. He had access to the Oval Office. He carried a first-century pager that God doesn't pass out anymore.
But don't be too quick. In a letter to Christians just like us, Paul wrote, " Live by following the Spirit" ( Galatians 5:16).
" The true children of God are those who let God's Spirit lead them" ( Romans 8:14).
To hear many of us talk, you'd think we didn't believe these verses. You'd think we didn't believe in the Trinity. We talk about the Father and study the Son--but when it comes to the Holy Spirit, we are confused at best and frightened at worst. Confused because we've never been taught. Frightened because we've been taught to be afraid.
May I simplify things a bit? The Holy Spirit is the presence of God in our lives, carrying on the work of Jesus. The Holy Spirit helps us in three directions--inwardly ( by granting us the fruits of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-24), upwardly ( by praying for us, Romans 8:26) and outwardly ( by pouring God's love into our hearts, Romans 5:5).
In evangelism the Holy Spirit is on center stage. If the disciple teaches, it is because the Spirit teaches the disciple ( Luke 12:12). If the listener is convicted, it is because the Spirit has penetrated ( John 16:10). If the listener is converted, it is by the transforming power of the Spirit ( Romans 8:11). If the new believer matures, it is because the Spirit makes him or her competent ( 2 Corinthians 3:6).
You have the same Spirit working with you that Philip did. Some of you don't believe me. You're still cautious. I can hear you mumbling under your breath as you read, " Philip had something I don't. I've never heard an angel's voice," To which I counter, " How do you know Philip did?"
We assume he did.
We've been taught he did. The flannelboard figures say he did. An angel puts his trumpet in Philip's ear, blares the announcement, and Philip has no choice. Flashing lights and fluttering wings are nothing to deny. The deacon had to go. But could our assumption be wrong? Could it be that the angel's voice was every bit as miraculous as the one you and I hear?
What?
You've heard the voice whispering your name, haven't you? You've felt the nudge to go and sensed the urge to speak. Hasn't it occurred to you?
You invite a couple over for coffee. Nothing heroic, just a nice evening with old friends. But from the moment they enter, you can feel the tension. Colder than glaciers, they are. You can tell something is wrong. Typically you're not one to inquire, but you feel a concern that won't be silent. So you ask.
You are in a business meeting where one of your coworkers gets raked over the coals. Everyone else is thinking, I'm glad that wasn't me. But the Holy Spirit is leading you to think, How hard this must be. So, after the meeting you approach the employee and express your concern.
You notice the fellow on the other side of the church auditorium. He looks a bit out of place, what with his strange clothing and all. You learn that he is from Africa, in town on business. The next Sunday he is back. And the third Sunday he is present. You introduce yourself. He tells you how he is fascinated by the faith and how he wants to learn more. Rather than offer to teach him, you simply urge him to read the Bible.
Later in the week, you regret not being more direct. You call the office where he is consulting and learn that he is leaving today for home. You know in your heart you can't let him leave. So you rush to the airport and find him awaiting his flight, with a Bible open on his lap.
" Do you understand what you are reading?" you inquire.
" How can I, unless someone explains it to me?"
And so you, like Philip, explain. And he, like the Ethiopian, believes. Baptism is requested and baptism is offered. He catches a later flight and you catch a glimpse of what it means to be led by the Spirit.
Were there lights? You just lit one. Where there voices? You just were one. Was there a miracle? You just witnessed one. Who knows? If the Bible were being written today, that might be your name in the eighth chapter of Acts.
There Are a few stories in the Bible where everything turns out right. This is one. It has three characters.
The first is Philip--a disciple in the early church who had a penchant for lost people. One day he was instructed by God to go to the road that leads to Gaza from Jerusalem. It was a desert road. He went. When he arrived he came upon a ruler from Ethiopia.
Must have been a bit intimidating for Philip. It would be similar to your hopping on a motor scooter and following the secretary of the treasury. At a stoplight you notice he is reading the Bible, and you volunteer your services.
That is what Philip did.
" DO you understand what you are reading?"
" How can I unless someone explains it to me?"
And so Philip did. They have a Bible study in the chariot. The study is so convincing that the Ethiopian is baptized that day. And then they separate. Philip goes one way, and the Ethiopian goes another. The story has a happy ending. Philip teaches, the Ethiopian obeys, and the gospel is sent to Africa.
But that's not all the story. Remember I said there were three characters. The first was Philip; the second was the Ethiopian. Did you see the third? There is one. Read these verses and take note.
" An angel of the Lord said to Philip, ' Get ready and go south....' So Philip got ready and went" ( Acts 8: 26-27).
" The Spirit said to Philip, ' Go to that chariot and stay near it.' So...Philip ran toward the chariot" ( Acts 8:29-30).
The third character? God! God sent the angel. The Holy Spirit instructed Philip; God orchestrated the entire moment! He saw this godly man coming from Ethiopia to worship. He saw his confusion. So he decided to resolve it.
He looked in Jerusalem for a man he could send. He found Philip.
Our typical response when we read these verses is to think Philip was a special guy. He had access to the Oval Office. He carried a first-century pager that God doesn't pass out anymore.
But don't be too quick. In a letter to Christians just like us, Paul wrote, " Live by following the Spirit" ( Galatians 5:16).
" The true children of God are those who let God's Spirit lead them" ( Romans 8:14).
To hear many of us talk, you'd think we didn't believe these verses. You'd think we didn't believe in the Trinity. We talk about the Father and study the Son--but when it comes to the Holy Spirit, we are confused at best and frightened at worst. Confused because we've never been taught. Frightened because we've been taught to be afraid.
May I simplify things a bit? The Holy Spirit is the presence of God in our lives, carrying on the work of Jesus. The Holy Spirit helps us in three directions--inwardly ( by granting us the fruits of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-24), upwardly ( by praying for us, Romans 8:26) and outwardly ( by pouring God's love into our hearts, Romans 5:5).
In evangelism the Holy Spirit is on center stage. If the disciple teaches, it is because the Spirit teaches the disciple ( Luke 12:12). If the listener is convicted, it is because the Spirit has penetrated ( John 16:10). If the listener is converted, it is by the transforming power of the Spirit ( Romans 8:11). If the new believer matures, it is because the Spirit makes him or her competent ( 2 Corinthians 3:6).
You have the same Spirit working with you that Philip did. Some of you don't believe me. You're still cautious. I can hear you mumbling under your breath as you read, " Philip had something I don't. I've never heard an angel's voice," To which I counter, " How do you know Philip did?"
We assume he did.
We've been taught he did. The flannelboard figures say he did. An angel puts his trumpet in Philip's ear, blares the announcement, and Philip has no choice. Flashing lights and fluttering wings are nothing to deny. The deacon had to go. But could our assumption be wrong? Could it be that the angel's voice was every bit as miraculous as the one you and I hear?
What?
You've heard the voice whispering your name, haven't you? You've felt the nudge to go and sensed the urge to speak. Hasn't it occurred to you?
You invite a couple over for coffee. Nothing heroic, just a nice evening with old friends. But from the moment they enter, you can feel the tension. Colder than glaciers, they are. You can tell something is wrong. Typically you're not one to inquire, but you feel a concern that won't be silent. So you ask.
You are in a business meeting where one of your coworkers gets raked over the coals. Everyone else is thinking, I'm glad that wasn't me. But the Holy Spirit is leading you to think, How hard this must be. So, after the meeting you approach the employee and express your concern.
You notice the fellow on the other side of the church auditorium. He looks a bit out of place, what with his strange clothing and all. You learn that he is from Africa, in town on business. The next Sunday he is back. And the third Sunday he is present. You introduce yourself. He tells you how he is fascinated by the faith and how he wants to learn more. Rather than offer to teach him, you simply urge him to read the Bible.
Later in the week, you regret not being more direct. You call the office where he is consulting and learn that he is leaving today for home. You know in your heart you can't let him leave. So you rush to the airport and find him awaiting his flight, with a Bible open on his lap.
" Do you understand what you are reading?" you inquire.
" How can I, unless someone explains it to me?"
And so you, like Philip, explain. And he, like the Ethiopian, believes. Baptism is requested and baptism is offered. He catches a later flight and you catch a glimpse of what it means to be led by the Spirit.
Were there lights? You just lit one. Where there voices? You just were one. Was there a miracle? You just witnessed one. Who knows? If the Bible were being written today, that might be your name in the eighth chapter of Acts.
Love, Unity, And Humility Recommended
Philippians 2
Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, If any comfort of love, If any fellowship of the Spirit, If any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man. He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those on the earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Do all things without complaining and disputting, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith. I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.
But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own , not the things which are of Christ. But you know his proven character , that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly.
Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I I may be less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.
Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, If any comfort of love, If any fellowship of the Spirit, If any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man. He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those on the earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Do all things without complaining and disputting, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith. I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.
But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own , not the things which are of Christ. But you know his proven character , that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly.
Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I I may be less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.
Get It Through Your Head
Scripture Memory:
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.
I rejoice in following your statues as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.... Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge. In the night I remember your name, O Lord, and I will keep your law....If your law had not been in my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life. Save me, for I am yours; I have sought out your precepts.... Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them....Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight.
Scripture: Psalm 119:9-11, 13-16/ 54-55, 92-94, 140, 143
Defining Moments:
You're going to be memorizing something. Either it's song lyrics, or Oscar nominations, or Mark Maguire's home run totals. You're going to be paying enough attention to some interesting aspect of life that the minutest details will become common knowledge to you.
Know what, though? This time next year, you'll have a hard time remembering who even played in the last three Super Bowls, though at the time they seemed so important. You'll forget who your state senator beat in the previous election, though at the time you devoured every article on the race. You'll lose track of the TV story line that used to keep you awake at nights trying to figure out what was going to happen next week.
" But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" ( John 14:26). If, instead of filling your mind with forgettable facts, you load up on the words of life, you place within constant retrieval the right word for every situation.
Next Up:
Right along with letting the Bible become a staple in your daily diet, prayer will open your life to ongoing fellowship with God. And keep you going all day long.
Everybody thinks that memorizing Bible verses is too hard for them, too much trouble. Forget that.
" One of the primary reasons for studying the Bible is to provide Him with the Word to bring to our remembrance--when we need it."
-Evelyn Christenson
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.
I rejoice in following your statues as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.... Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge. In the night I remember your name, O Lord, and I will keep your law....If your law had not been in my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life. Save me, for I am yours; I have sought out your precepts.... Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them....Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight.
Scripture: Psalm 119:9-11, 13-16/ 54-55, 92-94, 140, 143
Defining Moments:
You're going to be memorizing something. Either it's song lyrics, or Oscar nominations, or Mark Maguire's home run totals. You're going to be paying enough attention to some interesting aspect of life that the minutest details will become common knowledge to you.
Know what, though? This time next year, you'll have a hard time remembering who even played in the last three Super Bowls, though at the time they seemed so important. You'll forget who your state senator beat in the previous election, though at the time you devoured every article on the race. You'll lose track of the TV story line that used to keep you awake at nights trying to figure out what was going to happen next week.
" But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" ( John 14:26). If, instead of filling your mind with forgettable facts, you load up on the words of life, you place within constant retrieval the right word for every situation.
Next Up:
Right along with letting the Bible become a staple in your daily diet, prayer will open your life to ongoing fellowship with God. And keep you going all day long.
Everybody thinks that memorizing Bible verses is too hard for them, too much trouble. Forget that.
" One of the primary reasons for studying the Bible is to provide Him with the Word to bring to our remembrance--when we need it."
-Evelyn Christenson
Monday, January 28, 2019
When God Whispers Your Name Chapter 3 Questions
Chapter 3 Hidden Heroes
Points to Ponder:
" John doesn't look like the prophet who would be the transition between law and grace. He doesn't look like a hero. Heroes seldom."
1.) In what way do heroes seldom look like heroes?
2.) What's your picture of a hero?
" For every hero in the spotlight, there are dozens in the shadows. They don't get press. They don't draw crowds. They don't even write books(!). But behind every avalanche is a snowflake.Behind a rock slide is a pebble. An atomic explosion begins with one atom. And a revival can begin with one sermon."
1.) What " heroes out of the spotlight" do you know?
2.) What makes them heroes?
" We'd do well to keep our eyes open. Tomorrow's Spurgeon might be mowing your lawn. And the hero who inspires him might be nearer than you think. He might be in your mirror."
1.) Have you been a hero to anyone?
2.) Could you be a hero to anyone?
Wisdom from the Word
Read Mark 1:1-8. How would you describe John in modern terms? How did his appearance and lifestyle help him accomplish his mission? In what way was he a hero?
Read 2 Corinthians 4:7-11; 6:4-10; 11:22-28. What do you learn about Paul from these passages? What in them describes the kind of hero he was? Do these passages encourage or discourage you? Why?
Points to Ponder:
" John doesn't look like the prophet who would be the transition between law and grace. He doesn't look like a hero. Heroes seldom."
1.) In what way do heroes seldom look like heroes?
2.) What's your picture of a hero?
" For every hero in the spotlight, there are dozens in the shadows. They don't get press. They don't draw crowds. They don't even write books(!). But behind every avalanche is a snowflake.Behind a rock slide is a pebble. An atomic explosion begins with one atom. And a revival can begin with one sermon."
1.) What " heroes out of the spotlight" do you know?
2.) What makes them heroes?
" We'd do well to keep our eyes open. Tomorrow's Spurgeon might be mowing your lawn. And the hero who inspires him might be nearer than you think. He might be in your mirror."
1.) Have you been a hero to anyone?
2.) Could you be a hero to anyone?
Wisdom from the Word
Read Mark 1:1-8. How would you describe John in modern terms? How did his appearance and lifestyle help him accomplish his mission? In what way was he a hero?
Read 2 Corinthians 4:7-11; 6:4-10; 11:22-28. What do you learn about Paul from these passages? What in them describes the kind of hero he was? Do these passages encourage or discourage you? Why?
Hidden Heroes
True Heroes are hard to identify. They don't look like heroes. Here's an example.
Step with me into a dank dungeon in Judea. Peer through the door's tiny window. Consider the plight of the man on the floor. He has just inaugurated history's greatest movement. His words have triggered a revolution that will span two milleniums. Future historians will describe him as courageous, noble, and visionary.
At this moment he appear anything but. Cheeks hollow. Beard matted. Bewilderment etched on his face. He leans back against the cold wall, closes his eyes, and sighs.
John had never known doubt. Hunger, yes. Loneliness, often. But doubt? Never. Only raw conviction, ruthless pronouncements, and rugged truth. Such was John the Baptist. Conviction as fierce as the desert sun. In another. Nearly drowned as many times as he nearly starved. If he spent more than one week in the same place, it was probably a prison.
He never received a salary. Had to pay his own travel expenses. Kept a part-time job on the side to make ends meat.
Doesn't look like a hero.
Doesn't sound like one either. He introduced himself as the worst sinner in history. He was a Christian-killer before he was a Christian leader. At times his heart was so heavy, Paul's pen drug itself across the page. " What a miserable man am I! Who will save me from this body that brings me death? ( Romans 7:24).
Only heaven knows how long he stared at the question before he found the courage to defy logic and write, " I thank God for saving me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" ( Romans 7:25).
One minute he's in charge; the next he's in doubt. One day he's preaching; the next he's in prison. And that's where I'd like you to look at him. Look at him in the prison.
Pretend you don't know him. You're a guard or a cook or a friend of the hatchet man, and you've come to get one last look at the guy while they sharpen the blade.
What you see shuffling around in his cell isn't too much. But what I lean over and tell you is: " That man will shape the course of history."
You chuckle, but I continue.
" Nero's fame will fade in this man's light."
You turn and stare. I continue.
" His churches will die. But his thoughts? Within two hundred years his thoughts will influence the teaching of every school on this continent."
You shake your head.
" See those letters? Those letters scribbled on parchment? They'll be read in thousands of languages and will impact every major creed and constitution of the future. Every major figure will read them. Every single one."
That would be your breaking point. " No way. He's an old man with an odd faith. He'll be killed and forgotten before his head hits the floor."
Who could disagree? What rational thinker would counter?
Paul's name would blow like the dust his bones would become.
Just like John's. No level-headed observer would think otherwise. Both were noble, but passing. Courageous, but small. Radical, yet unnoticed. No one--I repeat, no one--bade farewell to these men thinking their names would be remembered more than a generation.
For that reason, a hero could be next door and you wouldn't know it. The fellow who changes the oil in your car could be one. A hero in coveralls? Maybe. Maybe as he works he prays, asking God to do with the heart of the driver what he does with the engine.
The day-care worker where you drop off the kids? Perhaps. Perhaps her morning prayers include the name of each child and the dream that one of them will change the world. Who's to say God isn't listening?
I know, I know. These folks don't fit our image of a hero. They look too, too,...well, normal. Give us four stars, titles, and headlines. But something tells me that for every hero in the spotlight, there are dozens in the shadows. They don't get press. They don't draw crowds.
They don't even write books!
But behind every avalanche is a snowflake.
Behind a rock slide is a pebble.
An atomic explosion begins with one atom.
And a revival can begin with one sermon.
History proves it. John Egglen had never preached a sermon in his life. Never.
Wasn't that he didn't want to, just never needed to. But then one morning he did. The snow left his town of Colchester, England, buried in white. When he awoke on that January Sunday in 1850, he thought of staying home. Who would go to church in such weather?
But he reconsidered. He was, after all, a deacon. And if the deacons didn't go, who would? So he put on his boots, hat, and coat and walked the six miles to the Methodist Church.
He wasn't the only member who considered staying home. In fact, he was one of the few who came. Only thirteen people were present. Twelve members and one visitor. Even the minister was snowed in. Someone suggested they go home. Egglen wouldn't hear none of that. They'd come this far; they would have a service. Besides, they had a visitor. A thirteen-year-old boy.
But who would preach? Egglen was the only deacon. It fell on him.
And so he did. His sermon lasted only ten minutes. It drifted and wandered and made no point in an effort to make several. But at the end, an uncharacteristic courage settled upon the man. He lifted his eyes and looked straight at the boy and challenged: " Young man, look to Jesus. Look! Look! Look!"
Did the challenge make a difference? Let the boy, now a man, answer. " I did look, and then there the cloud on my heart lifted, the darkness rolled away, and at that moment I saw the sun."
The boy's name? Charles Haddon Spurgeon. England's prince of preachers.
Did Egglen know what he'd done? No.
Do heroes know when they are heroic? Rarely.
Are historic moments acknowledged when they happen?
You know the answer to that one. ( If not, a visit to the manager will remind you.) We seldom see history in the making and we seldom recognize heroes. Which is just as well, for if we knew either, we might mess up both.
But we'd do well to keep our eyes open. Tomorrow's Spurgeon might be mowing your lawn. And the hero who inspires him might be nearer than you think.
He might be in your mirror.
Step with me into a dank dungeon in Judea. Peer through the door's tiny window. Consider the plight of the man on the floor. He has just inaugurated history's greatest movement. His words have triggered a revolution that will span two milleniums. Future historians will describe him as courageous, noble, and visionary.
At this moment he appear anything but. Cheeks hollow. Beard matted. Bewilderment etched on his face. He leans back against the cold wall, closes his eyes, and sighs.
John had never known doubt. Hunger, yes. Loneliness, often. But doubt? Never. Only raw conviction, ruthless pronouncements, and rugged truth. Such was John the Baptist. Conviction as fierce as the desert sun. In another. Nearly drowned as many times as he nearly starved. If he spent more than one week in the same place, it was probably a prison.
He never received a salary. Had to pay his own travel expenses. Kept a part-time job on the side to make ends meat.
Doesn't look like a hero.
Doesn't sound like one either. He introduced himself as the worst sinner in history. He was a Christian-killer before he was a Christian leader. At times his heart was so heavy, Paul's pen drug itself across the page. " What a miserable man am I! Who will save me from this body that brings me death? ( Romans 7:24).
Only heaven knows how long he stared at the question before he found the courage to defy logic and write, " I thank God for saving me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" ( Romans 7:25).
One minute he's in charge; the next he's in doubt. One day he's preaching; the next he's in prison. And that's where I'd like you to look at him. Look at him in the prison.
Pretend you don't know him. You're a guard or a cook or a friend of the hatchet man, and you've come to get one last look at the guy while they sharpen the blade.
What you see shuffling around in his cell isn't too much. But what I lean over and tell you is: " That man will shape the course of history."
You chuckle, but I continue.
" Nero's fame will fade in this man's light."
You turn and stare. I continue.
" His churches will die. But his thoughts? Within two hundred years his thoughts will influence the teaching of every school on this continent."
You shake your head.
" See those letters? Those letters scribbled on parchment? They'll be read in thousands of languages and will impact every major creed and constitution of the future. Every major figure will read them. Every single one."
That would be your breaking point. " No way. He's an old man with an odd faith. He'll be killed and forgotten before his head hits the floor."
Who could disagree? What rational thinker would counter?
Paul's name would blow like the dust his bones would become.
Just like John's. No level-headed observer would think otherwise. Both were noble, but passing. Courageous, but small. Radical, yet unnoticed. No one--I repeat, no one--bade farewell to these men thinking their names would be remembered more than a generation.
For that reason, a hero could be next door and you wouldn't know it. The fellow who changes the oil in your car could be one. A hero in coveralls? Maybe. Maybe as he works he prays, asking God to do with the heart of the driver what he does with the engine.
The day-care worker where you drop off the kids? Perhaps. Perhaps her morning prayers include the name of each child and the dream that one of them will change the world. Who's to say God isn't listening?
I know, I know. These folks don't fit our image of a hero. They look too, too,...well, normal. Give us four stars, titles, and headlines. But something tells me that for every hero in the spotlight, there are dozens in the shadows. They don't get press. They don't draw crowds.
They don't even write books!
But behind every avalanche is a snowflake.
Behind a rock slide is a pebble.
An atomic explosion begins with one atom.
And a revival can begin with one sermon.
History proves it. John Egglen had never preached a sermon in his life. Never.
Wasn't that he didn't want to, just never needed to. But then one morning he did. The snow left his town of Colchester, England, buried in white. When he awoke on that January Sunday in 1850, he thought of staying home. Who would go to church in such weather?
But he reconsidered. He was, after all, a deacon. And if the deacons didn't go, who would? So he put on his boots, hat, and coat and walked the six miles to the Methodist Church.
He wasn't the only member who considered staying home. In fact, he was one of the few who came. Only thirteen people were present. Twelve members and one visitor. Even the minister was snowed in. Someone suggested they go home. Egglen wouldn't hear none of that. They'd come this far; they would have a service. Besides, they had a visitor. A thirteen-year-old boy.
But who would preach? Egglen was the only deacon. It fell on him.
And so he did. His sermon lasted only ten minutes. It drifted and wandered and made no point in an effort to make several. But at the end, an uncharacteristic courage settled upon the man. He lifted his eyes and looked straight at the boy and challenged: " Young man, look to Jesus. Look! Look! Look!"
Did the challenge make a difference? Let the boy, now a man, answer. " I did look, and then there the cloud on my heart lifted, the darkness rolled away, and at that moment I saw the sun."
The boy's name? Charles Haddon Spurgeon. England's prince of preachers.
Did Egglen know what he'd done? No.
Do heroes know when they are heroic? Rarely.
Are historic moments acknowledged when they happen?
You know the answer to that one. ( If not, a visit to the manager will remind you.) We seldom see history in the making and we seldom recognize heroes. Which is just as well, for if we knew either, we might mess up both.
But we'd do well to keep our eyes open. Tomorrow's Spurgeon might be mowing your lawn. And the hero who inspires him might be nearer than you think.
He might be in your mirror.
When God Whispers Your Name Chapter 2 questions
Chapter 2 Why Jesus Went To Parties
Points to Ponder:
" I think it's significant that common folk in a little town enjoyed being with Jesus. Think it's noteworthy that the Almighty didn't act high and mighty. The Holy One wasn't holier-than-thou. The One who knew it all wasn't a know-it-all. The One who made the stars didn't keep his head in them. The One who owns all the stuff of earth never strutted it."
1.) Is it important to you that the " common folk" enjoyed being around Jesus? Explain.
2.) Use a single word to describe the trait in Jesus' life that's described above.
" Where did we get the notion that a good Christian is a solemn Christian? Who started the rumor that the sign of a disciple is a long face? How did we create this idea that the truly gifted are the heavy-hearted?"
3.) Do you think of Christians as " solemn"? Explain
4.) Where do you think the idea of the heavy-hearted Christian came?
5.) Would others see you as a disciple with a long face? Explain.
" Forgive me, Deacon Drydust and Sister Somberheart. I'm sorry to rain on your dirge, but Jesus was a likable fellow. And his disciples should be the same. I'm not talking debauchery, drunkenness, and adultery. I'm not endorsing compromise, coarseness, or obscenity. I am simply crusading for the freedom to enjoy a good joke, enliven a dull party, and appreciate a fun evening."
6.) Describe your response to Max's insight above.
7.) How do you respond to the Deacon Drydusy and Sister Somberhearts you encounter? How do you think Jesus would respond to them?
Wisdom from the Word
Read John 2:1-11. What impression do you get of Jesus from this passage? Why do you think John included it in his Gospel?
Read Matthew 11:18-19. Which parts of this accusation against Jesus are true, and which are false? What does this passage tell you about Jesus' lifestyle? How does this relate to Max's point?
Read 1 Thessalonians 4:16. What does it mean to " rejoice"? Why is it significant that this is a command? How good are you at obeying this command?
Points to Ponder:
" I think it's significant that common folk in a little town enjoyed being with Jesus. Think it's noteworthy that the Almighty didn't act high and mighty. The Holy One wasn't holier-than-thou. The One who knew it all wasn't a know-it-all. The One who made the stars didn't keep his head in them. The One who owns all the stuff of earth never strutted it."
1.) Is it important to you that the " common folk" enjoyed being around Jesus? Explain.
2.) Use a single word to describe the trait in Jesus' life that's described above.
" Where did we get the notion that a good Christian is a solemn Christian? Who started the rumor that the sign of a disciple is a long face? How did we create this idea that the truly gifted are the heavy-hearted?"
3.) Do you think of Christians as " solemn"? Explain
4.) Where do you think the idea of the heavy-hearted Christian came?
5.) Would others see you as a disciple with a long face? Explain.
" Forgive me, Deacon Drydust and Sister Somberheart. I'm sorry to rain on your dirge, but Jesus was a likable fellow. And his disciples should be the same. I'm not talking debauchery, drunkenness, and adultery. I'm not endorsing compromise, coarseness, or obscenity. I am simply crusading for the freedom to enjoy a good joke, enliven a dull party, and appreciate a fun evening."
6.) Describe your response to Max's insight above.
7.) How do you respond to the Deacon Drydusy and Sister Somberhearts you encounter? How do you think Jesus would respond to them?
Wisdom from the Word
Read John 2:1-11. What impression do you get of Jesus from this passage? Why do you think John included it in his Gospel?
Read Matthew 11:18-19. Which parts of this accusation against Jesus are true, and which are false? What does this passage tell you about Jesus' lifestyle? How does this relate to Max's point?
Read 1 Thessalonians 4:16. What does it mean to " rejoice"? Why is it significant that this is a command? How good are you at obeying this command?
Paul's Thankfulness and Prayer to God
Philippians 1
Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ.
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ: just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains, are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill; The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel.
What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.
For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live as Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what shall I choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.
Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.
Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ.
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ: just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains, are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill; The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel.
What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.
For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live as Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what shall I choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.
Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.
Completely Booked
Reading Your Bible:
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statues of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure altogether righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold....
Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work....
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edge sword, it penetrates even dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Scripture: Psalm 19:7-10; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12
Defining Moments:
The Bible sure is a big book, isn't it? And if you try starting logically at page 1 and barreling straight through the end, you're likely to bog down somewhere in Leviticus or Numbers, not quite sure how the cleansing ritual of leprosy is going to factor into your life.
So start by reading one of the foundational books of the Bible like the gospel of John, or Paul's Letter to the Romans, or the Books of Psalms and Proverbs. If you want to tackle more, you could set off on a journey through the New Testament, starting with Matthew. Read as much as you can, but only as you can understand, not being afraid to read only a verse or two a day as long as you mingle it with prayer that God will use it to shine His truth into your life.
As you read, you'll begin picking up hints of what God's nature is like, plus new understandings of the Bible's overall message. Little by little--but quicker than you think--you'll start developing a mind that thinks like God thinks, because you know what God says.
Next Up:
Still, you're likely to forget a lot of what you read if that's all you do with the Scripture. To really let it sink in deep, you've got to lock it away for safekeeping.
The surest way to God's heart is through His Word. When you start there, you'll never go wrong.
" The Bible gives us heart and hope to make earth like heaven, and to make our hearts and homes a habitation for Christ
-A.T. Robertson
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statues of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure altogether righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold....
Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work....
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edge sword, it penetrates even dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Scripture: Psalm 19:7-10; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12
Defining Moments:
The Bible sure is a big book, isn't it? And if you try starting logically at page 1 and barreling straight through the end, you're likely to bog down somewhere in Leviticus or Numbers, not quite sure how the cleansing ritual of leprosy is going to factor into your life.
So start by reading one of the foundational books of the Bible like the gospel of John, or Paul's Letter to the Romans, or the Books of Psalms and Proverbs. If you want to tackle more, you could set off on a journey through the New Testament, starting with Matthew. Read as much as you can, but only as you can understand, not being afraid to read only a verse or two a day as long as you mingle it with prayer that God will use it to shine His truth into your life.
As you read, you'll begin picking up hints of what God's nature is like, plus new understandings of the Bible's overall message. Little by little--but quicker than you think--you'll start developing a mind that thinks like God thinks, because you know what God says.
Next Up:
Still, you're likely to forget a lot of what you read if that's all you do with the Scripture. To really let it sink in deep, you've got to lock it away for safekeeping.
The surest way to God's heart is through His Word. When you start there, you'll never go wrong.
" The Bible gives us heart and hope to make earth like heaven, and to make our hearts and homes a habitation for Christ
-A.T. Robertson
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Family Responsibilities; the Christian's Armor
Ephesians 6
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. " Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: " that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."
And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh. With fear and trembling. In sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.
And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
But that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing. Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you; whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our affairs, and that he may comfort your hearts.
Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. " Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: " that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."
And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh. With fear and trembling. In sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.
And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
But that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing. Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you; whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our affairs, and that he may comfort your hearts.
Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
Called Meetings
Spending Set-Aside Time With God:
Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.
You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell.
The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the Lord abhors. But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple.
Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies--make me straight your way before me.
Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit....
But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
Scripture: Psalm 5-1:9, 11-12
Defining Moments:
Don't expect your quiet time to come along quietly, because you can usually tell how important something is to your Christian walk by watching how hard Satan works to prevent you from doing it.
Yet if there's one thing you need as a growing believer, it's the early-established, hard-fought discipline of starting each day with your head in the clouds.... The clouds of God's presence.
Jesus did. The Bible says that He " often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" Luke 5:16. " Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place" ( Mark 1:35). Not that your time alone with God has to be in the morning, but most of us have learned that leaving quiet time off till bedtime usually results in leaving it off all together, or at least changes it from a season of refreshed commitments and confident resolve into a weepy, discouraging rehash of the messes you've made that day.
You'll make time for what matters. And this matters the most.
Next Up:
Hope you're ready to carve out a spot in your day that's earmarked for just you and God to enjoy together. But what are you supposed to fill up a quiet time with?
The moment you spend with no one else but God build the best foundation to a Christian's day.
" If you meet the Lord before you meet anyone else, you'll be pointed in the right direction for whatever comes."
-Elizabeth Elliot
Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.
You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell.
The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the Lord abhors. But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple.
Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies--make me straight your way before me.
Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit....
But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
Scripture: Psalm 5-1:9, 11-12
Defining Moments:
Don't expect your quiet time to come along quietly, because you can usually tell how important something is to your Christian walk by watching how hard Satan works to prevent you from doing it.
Yet if there's one thing you need as a growing believer, it's the early-established, hard-fought discipline of starting each day with your head in the clouds.... The clouds of God's presence.
Jesus did. The Bible says that He " often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" Luke 5:16. " Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place" ( Mark 1:35). Not that your time alone with God has to be in the morning, but most of us have learned that leaving quiet time off till bedtime usually results in leaving it off all together, or at least changes it from a season of refreshed commitments and confident resolve into a weepy, discouraging rehash of the messes you've made that day.
You'll make time for what matters. And this matters the most.
Next Up:
Hope you're ready to carve out a spot in your day that's earmarked for just you and God to enjoy together. But what are you supposed to fill up a quiet time with?
The moment you spend with no one else but God build the best foundation to a Christian's day.
" If you meet the Lord before you meet anyone else, you'll be pointed in the right direction for whatever comes."
-Elizabeth Elliot
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Why Jesus Went to Parties
Chapter 2:
I was planning to write a chapter on twelve verses this week, but I never got past the second verse. Not supposed to do that. Supposed to present the entire story. I meant to, I really did. But I got stuck. The second verse wouldn't release me--it took me hostage--so I spent the whole lesson on one verse. Captivating little phrase, it was.
I'll tell you about it, after I set the stage.
Picture six men walking on a narrow road. The gold dawn explodes behind them, stretching shadows ahead. Early-morning chill has robes snugly sashed. Grass sparkles with diamonds of dew.
Then men's faces are eager, but common. Their leader is confident, but unknown. They call him Rabbi; he looks more like a laborer. And well he should, for he's spent far more time building than teaching. But this week the teaching has begun.
Where are they going? To the temple to worship? To the synagogue to teach? To the hills to pray? They haven't been told, but they each have their own idea.
John and Andrew expect to be led into the desert. That's were their previous teacher had taken them. John the Baptist would guide them into the barren hills and for hours they would pray. For days they would fast. For the Messiah they would yearn. And now, the Messiah is here.
Peter has another opinion. Peter is a man of action. A roll-up-your-sleeves kind of guy. A stand-up-and-say-it- sort of fellow. He likes the idea of going somewhere. God's people need to be on the ermove. Probably taking us somewhere to preach, he is thinking to himself. And as they walk, Peter is outlining his own sermon, should Jesus need a breather.
Nathaniel would disagree. Come and see, his friend Philip had invited. So he came. And Nathaniel liked what he saw. In Jesus he saw a man of deep thought. A man of mediation. A heart of contemplation. A man who, like Nathaniel, had spent hours under the fig tree reflecting on the mysteries of life. Nathaniel was convinced that Jesus was taking them to a place to ponder. A quite house on a distant mountain, that's where we are going.
And what about Philip? What was he thinking? He was the only apostle with a Gentile name. When the Greeks came looking for Jesus, it was Philip they approached. Perhaps he had Greek connections. Maybe Philip had a heart for the Gentiles. If so, he was hoping this journey was a missionary one-out of Galilee. Out of Judea. Into a distant land.
Did such speculation occur? Who knows? I know it does today?
I know Jesus' followers often enlist with high aspirations and expectations. Disciples step in line with unspoken yet heartfelt agendas. Lips posed to preach to thousands. Eyes fixed on foreign shores. I know where Jesus will take me, the young disciples claim, and so they, like the first five, follow.
And they, like the first five, are surprised.
Maybe it was Andrew who asked it. Perhaps Peter. Could be that all approached Jesus. But I wager that at some point in the journey, the disciples expressed their assumptions.
" So Rabbi, where are you taking us? To the desert?" " No," opines another," " he's taking us to the temple." To the temple?" challenges a third. " We're on our way to the Gentiles!"
Then a chorus of confusion breaks out and ends only when Jesus lifts his hand and says softly, " We're on our way to a wedding."
Silence. John and Andrew look at each other. " A wedding?" they say. " John the Baptist would have never gone to a wedding. Why, there is drinking and laughter and dancing...
" And noise!" Philip chimes in. " How can you meditate in a noisy wedding?"
" Or preach in a wedding?" Peter adds.
" Why would we go to a wedding?"
Good question. Why would Jesus, on his first journey, take his followers to a party? Didn't they have work to do? Didn't he have principles to teach? Wasn't his time limited? How could a wedding fit with his purpose on earth?
Why did Jesus go to the wedding?
The answer? It's found in the second verse of John 2 ( the verse I could not pass). " Jesus and his followers were also invited to the wedding."
When the bride and groom were putting the guest list together, Jesus' name was included. And when Jesus showed up with half-dozen friends, the invitation wasn't rescinded. Whoever was hosting this party was happy to have Jesus present.
" Be sure and put Jesus' name on the list," he might have said. " He really lightens up a party."
Jesus wasn't invited because he was a celebrity. He wasn't one yet. The invitation wasn't motivated by his miracles. He'd yet to perform any. Why did they invite him?
I supposed they liked him. Big deal? I think so. I think it's significant that common folk in a little town enjoyed being with Jesus. I think it's noteworthy that the Almighty didn't act high and mighty. The Holy One wasn't holier-than-thou. The One who made the stars didn't keep his head in them. The One who knew it all wasn't a know-it-all. The One who owns all the stuff of the earth never strutted it.
Never. He could have. Oh, how he could have!
He could have been a name dropper: Did I ever tell you the time Moses and I went up on the mountain?" He could have been a showoff: Hey, want me to beam you into the twentieth century?"
He could have been a smart-aleck: I know what you're thinking. Want me to prove it?"
He could have been highbrow and uppity; I've got some property on Jupiter...
Jesus could have been all of these, but he wasn't. His purpose was not to show off but to show up. He went to great pains to be as human as the guy down the street. He didn't need to study, but still went to the synagogue. He had no need for income, but still worked in the workshop. He had known the fellowship of angels and heard the harps of heaven, yet still went to parties thrown by tax collectors. And upon his shoulders rested the challenge of redeeming creation, but he still took time to walk ninety miles from Jericho to Cana to go to a wedding.
As a result, people liked him. Oh, there were those who chaffed at his claims. They called him a blasphemer, but the never called him a braggart. They accused him of heresy, but never arrogance. He was branded as a radical, but never called unapproachable.
There is no hint that he ever used his heavenly status for personal gain. Ever. You just don't get the impression that his neighbor grew sick of his haughtiness and asked, " Well, who do you think made you God?"
His faith made him likable, not detestable. Would that ours would do the same!
Where did we get the notion that a good Christian is a Solemn Christian? Who started the rumor that sign of a disciple is a long face? How did we create this idea that the truly gifted are the heavy-hearted?
May I state an opinion that may raise an eyebrow? May I tell you why I think Jesus went to the wedding? I think he went to the wedding to-now hold on, hear me out, let me say it before you heat the tar and pluck the chicken feathers-I think Jesus went to the wedding to have fun.
Think about it. It's been a rough season. Forty days in the desert. No food or water. A standoff with the devil. A week breaking in some greenhorn Galileans. A job change. He's left home. It hasn't been easy. A break and some good friends...well, it sounds pretty nice.
So off they go.
His purpose wasn't to turn the water to wine. That was a favor for his friends.
His purpose wasn't to show his power. The wedding host didn't even know what Jesus did.
His purpose wasn't to preach. There is no record of a sermon.
Really leaves only one reason. Fun. Jesus went to the wedding because he liked the people, he liked the food, and heaven forbid, he may have even wanted to swirl the bride around the dance floor a time or two. ( After all, he's planning a big wedding himself. Maybe he wanted the practice?)
So, forgive me, Deacon Drydust and Sister Somber heart. I'm sorry to rain on your dirge, but Jesus was a likable fellow. And his disciples should be the same. I'm not talking about debauchery, drunkenness, and adultery. I'm not endorsing compromise, coarseness, or obscenity. I am simply crusading for the freedom to enjoy a good joke, enliven a dull party, and appreciate a fun evening.
Maybe these thoughts catch you by surprise. They do me. It's been awhile since I pegged Jesus as a party-lover. But he was. His foes accused him of eating too much, drinking too much, and hanging out with the wrong people! ( See Matthew 11:19) I must confess: It's been awhile since I've been accused of having too much fun. How about you?
We used to be good at it. What has happened to us? What happened to clean joy and loud laughter? Is it our neckties that choke us? Is it our diplomas that dignify us? Is it the pew that stiffens us?
Couldn't we learn to be children again?
Bring out the marbles-(so what if the shoes get scuffed?).
Bring out the bat and glove-(so what if the muscles ache?).
Bring out the taffy-(so what if it sticks to your teeth?).
Be a child again. Flirt. Giggle. Dip your cookie in your milk. Take a nap. Say you're sorry if you hurt someone. Chase a butterfly. Be a child again.
Loosen up. Don't you have some people to hug, rocks to skip, or lips to kiss? Someone needs to laugh at Bugs Bunny; might as well be you. Someday you're going to learn to paint; might as well be now. Someday you are going to retire from your job, just retire from your attitude. Honestly, has complaining ever made the day better? Has grumbling ever paid the bills? Has worrying about tomorrow ever changed it?
Let someone else run the world for a while. Jesus took time for a party...shouldn't we?
I was planning to write a chapter on twelve verses this week, but I never got past the second verse. Not supposed to do that. Supposed to present the entire story. I meant to, I really did. But I got stuck. The second verse wouldn't release me--it took me hostage--so I spent the whole lesson on one verse. Captivating little phrase, it was.
I'll tell you about it, after I set the stage.
Picture six men walking on a narrow road. The gold dawn explodes behind them, stretching shadows ahead. Early-morning chill has robes snugly sashed. Grass sparkles with diamonds of dew.
Then men's faces are eager, but common. Their leader is confident, but unknown. They call him Rabbi; he looks more like a laborer. And well he should, for he's spent far more time building than teaching. But this week the teaching has begun.
Where are they going? To the temple to worship? To the synagogue to teach? To the hills to pray? They haven't been told, but they each have their own idea.
John and Andrew expect to be led into the desert. That's were their previous teacher had taken them. John the Baptist would guide them into the barren hills and for hours they would pray. For days they would fast. For the Messiah they would yearn. And now, the Messiah is here.
Peter has another opinion. Peter is a man of action. A roll-up-your-sleeves kind of guy. A stand-up-and-say-it- sort of fellow. He likes the idea of going somewhere. God's people need to be on the ermove. Probably taking us somewhere to preach, he is thinking to himself. And as they walk, Peter is outlining his own sermon, should Jesus need a breather.
Nathaniel would disagree. Come and see, his friend Philip had invited. So he came. And Nathaniel liked what he saw. In Jesus he saw a man of deep thought. A man of mediation. A heart of contemplation. A man who, like Nathaniel, had spent hours under the fig tree reflecting on the mysteries of life. Nathaniel was convinced that Jesus was taking them to a place to ponder. A quite house on a distant mountain, that's where we are going.
And what about Philip? What was he thinking? He was the only apostle with a Gentile name. When the Greeks came looking for Jesus, it was Philip they approached. Perhaps he had Greek connections. Maybe Philip had a heart for the Gentiles. If so, he was hoping this journey was a missionary one-out of Galilee. Out of Judea. Into a distant land.
Did such speculation occur? Who knows? I know it does today?
I know Jesus' followers often enlist with high aspirations and expectations. Disciples step in line with unspoken yet heartfelt agendas. Lips posed to preach to thousands. Eyes fixed on foreign shores. I know where Jesus will take me, the young disciples claim, and so they, like the first five, follow.
And they, like the first five, are surprised.
Maybe it was Andrew who asked it. Perhaps Peter. Could be that all approached Jesus. But I wager that at some point in the journey, the disciples expressed their assumptions.
" So Rabbi, where are you taking us? To the desert?" " No," opines another," " he's taking us to the temple." To the temple?" challenges a third. " We're on our way to the Gentiles!"
Then a chorus of confusion breaks out and ends only when Jesus lifts his hand and says softly, " We're on our way to a wedding."
Silence. John and Andrew look at each other. " A wedding?" they say. " John the Baptist would have never gone to a wedding. Why, there is drinking and laughter and dancing...
" And noise!" Philip chimes in. " How can you meditate in a noisy wedding?"
" Or preach in a wedding?" Peter adds.
" Why would we go to a wedding?"
Good question. Why would Jesus, on his first journey, take his followers to a party? Didn't they have work to do? Didn't he have principles to teach? Wasn't his time limited? How could a wedding fit with his purpose on earth?
Why did Jesus go to the wedding?
The answer? It's found in the second verse of John 2 ( the verse I could not pass). " Jesus and his followers were also invited to the wedding."
When the bride and groom were putting the guest list together, Jesus' name was included. And when Jesus showed up with half-dozen friends, the invitation wasn't rescinded. Whoever was hosting this party was happy to have Jesus present.
" Be sure and put Jesus' name on the list," he might have said. " He really lightens up a party."
Jesus wasn't invited because he was a celebrity. He wasn't one yet. The invitation wasn't motivated by his miracles. He'd yet to perform any. Why did they invite him?
I supposed they liked him. Big deal? I think so. I think it's significant that common folk in a little town enjoyed being with Jesus. I think it's noteworthy that the Almighty didn't act high and mighty. The Holy One wasn't holier-than-thou. The One who made the stars didn't keep his head in them. The One who knew it all wasn't a know-it-all. The One who owns all the stuff of the earth never strutted it.
Never. He could have. Oh, how he could have!
He could have been a name dropper: Did I ever tell you the time Moses and I went up on the mountain?" He could have been a showoff: Hey, want me to beam you into the twentieth century?"
He could have been a smart-aleck: I know what you're thinking. Want me to prove it?"
He could have been highbrow and uppity; I've got some property on Jupiter...
Jesus could have been all of these, but he wasn't. His purpose was not to show off but to show up. He went to great pains to be as human as the guy down the street. He didn't need to study, but still went to the synagogue. He had no need for income, but still worked in the workshop. He had known the fellowship of angels and heard the harps of heaven, yet still went to parties thrown by tax collectors. And upon his shoulders rested the challenge of redeeming creation, but he still took time to walk ninety miles from Jericho to Cana to go to a wedding.
As a result, people liked him. Oh, there were those who chaffed at his claims. They called him a blasphemer, but the never called him a braggart. They accused him of heresy, but never arrogance. He was branded as a radical, but never called unapproachable.
There is no hint that he ever used his heavenly status for personal gain. Ever. You just don't get the impression that his neighbor grew sick of his haughtiness and asked, " Well, who do you think made you God?"
His faith made him likable, not detestable. Would that ours would do the same!
Where did we get the notion that a good Christian is a Solemn Christian? Who started the rumor that sign of a disciple is a long face? How did we create this idea that the truly gifted are the heavy-hearted?
May I state an opinion that may raise an eyebrow? May I tell you why I think Jesus went to the wedding? I think he went to the wedding to-now hold on, hear me out, let me say it before you heat the tar and pluck the chicken feathers-I think Jesus went to the wedding to have fun.
Think about it. It's been a rough season. Forty days in the desert. No food or water. A standoff with the devil. A week breaking in some greenhorn Galileans. A job change. He's left home. It hasn't been easy. A break and some good friends...well, it sounds pretty nice.
So off they go.
His purpose wasn't to turn the water to wine. That was a favor for his friends.
His purpose wasn't to show his power. The wedding host didn't even know what Jesus did.
His purpose wasn't to preach. There is no record of a sermon.
Really leaves only one reason. Fun. Jesus went to the wedding because he liked the people, he liked the food, and heaven forbid, he may have even wanted to swirl the bride around the dance floor a time or two. ( After all, he's planning a big wedding himself. Maybe he wanted the practice?)
So, forgive me, Deacon Drydust and Sister Somber heart. I'm sorry to rain on your dirge, but Jesus was a likable fellow. And his disciples should be the same. I'm not talking about debauchery, drunkenness, and adultery. I'm not endorsing compromise, coarseness, or obscenity. I am simply crusading for the freedom to enjoy a good joke, enliven a dull party, and appreciate a fun evening.
Maybe these thoughts catch you by surprise. They do me. It's been awhile since I pegged Jesus as a party-lover. But he was. His foes accused him of eating too much, drinking too much, and hanging out with the wrong people! ( See Matthew 11:19) I must confess: It's been awhile since I've been accused of having too much fun. How about you?
We used to be good at it. What has happened to us? What happened to clean joy and loud laughter? Is it our neckties that choke us? Is it our diplomas that dignify us? Is it the pew that stiffens us?
Couldn't we learn to be children again?
Bring out the marbles-(so what if the shoes get scuffed?).
Bring out the bat and glove-(so what if the muscles ache?).
Bring out the taffy-(so what if it sticks to your teeth?).
Be a child again. Flirt. Giggle. Dip your cookie in your milk. Take a nap. Say you're sorry if you hurt someone. Chase a butterfly. Be a child again.
Loosen up. Don't you have some people to hug, rocks to skip, or lips to kiss? Someone needs to laugh at Bugs Bunny; might as well be you. Someday you're going to learn to paint; might as well be now. Someday you are going to retire from your job, just retire from your attitude. Honestly, has complaining ever made the day better? Has grumbling ever paid the bills? Has worrying about tomorrow ever changed it?
Let someone else run the world for a while. Jesus took time for a party...shouldn't we?
Walk in Love, Light, and Wisdom
Ephesians 5:
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
But fornication and all uncleanness or coveteousness, let it not even be named among you, as it is fitting for saints: neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse Jesting. Which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God . Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.
" Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."
See then when that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another is psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as Christ also loved the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having a spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves is wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and His bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
But fornication and all uncleanness or coveteousness, let it not even be named among you, as it is fitting for saints: neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse Jesting. Which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God . Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.
" Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."
See then when that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another is psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as Christ also loved the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having a spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves is wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and His bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Counting the Cost
The High Price of Commitment:
" Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
" Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ' This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'
" Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able , he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.
" In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
" Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?...
" If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it."
Scripture: Luke 14:27-34, 9:23-24
Defining Moments:
Being a Christian means everything. Everything you are, everything you have. That's why the most miserable people in the world are Christians who aren't willing to take it all the way.
To them, church is uncomfortable, because it keeps confronting them with their sins. Sin is uncomfortable, because the Spirit's taken all the guiltless fun out of it. Relationships are uncomfortable, because being a Christian in one place and a heathen in another makes life hard to keep up with. The call of God stirs the heart, but the call of the world purrs even louder. So with feet in two worlds, they know only the worst of each--the empty promises of sin and the nagging pain of an awakened conscience.
Wow. And they thought God's way were hard.
The road to the good life is narrow. And pretty steep in a lot of places. But the view is breathtaking--the experiences, unforgettable. And those who choose to walk it find everything their heart desires.
Everything.
Next Up:
You'll find many of the basic, everyday disciples of Christians living new and challenging, but get good at them. They are spiritual habits you'll never out grow.
God is love and peace and contentment. But He is serious business. You'd be better be, too.
" God nowhere tells us to give up things for the sake of giving them up. He tells us to give them up for the sake of the only thing worth having."
-Oswald Chambers
" Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
" Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ' This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'
" Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able , he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.
" In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
" Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?...
" If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it."
Scripture: Luke 14:27-34, 9:23-24
Defining Moments:
Being a Christian means everything. Everything you are, everything you have. That's why the most miserable people in the world are Christians who aren't willing to take it all the way.
To them, church is uncomfortable, because it keeps confronting them with their sins. Sin is uncomfortable, because the Spirit's taken all the guiltless fun out of it. Relationships are uncomfortable, because being a Christian in one place and a heathen in another makes life hard to keep up with. The call of God stirs the heart, but the call of the world purrs even louder. So with feet in two worlds, they know only the worst of each--the empty promises of sin and the nagging pain of an awakened conscience.
Wow. And they thought God's way were hard.
The road to the good life is narrow. And pretty steep in a lot of places. But the view is breathtaking--the experiences, unforgettable. And those who choose to walk it find everything their heart desires.
Everything.
Next Up:
You'll find many of the basic, everyday disciples of Christians living new and challenging, but get good at them. They are spiritual habits you'll never out grow.
God is love and peace and contentment. But He is serious business. You'd be better be, too.
" God nowhere tells us to give up things for the sake of giving them up. He tells us to give them up for the sake of the only thing worth having."
-Oswald Chambers
Friday, January 25, 2019
Points to Ponder
Chapter 1 The Voice From The Mop Bucket
" Something happens to us along the way. Convictions to change the world downgrade to commitments to pay the bills Rather than make a difference, we make a salary. Rather than look forward, we look back. Rather than look outward, we look inward. And we don't like what we see."
1.) Have your convictions changes as you've grown older?
If so, in what way?
2.)Do you like what you see? Explain.
h
3.) Would you have given Moses the job of bringing Israel out of slavery? Explain.
4.) What do you think God saw in Moses? What do you think He might see in you?
" The voice from the bush reminds you that God is not finished with you yet. Oh, you may think he is. You may think you've peaked. You may think he's got someone else to do the job. If so, think again."
5.) Have you ever had a " burning bush" experience? If so, describe it.
6.) What do you think God may still be calling you to do?
Wisdom from the Word:
Read Exodus 6:28-7:6. What did Moses think of himself? What did God think of him? Whose opinion won out?
Read Hebrews 11:24-28. According to this passage, how did Moses accomplish what he did? How does this relate to you?
Read Philipians 1:6. What promise is given in this verse? How can it change the way you live? Does it affect the way you live personally? Explain
" Something happens to us along the way. Convictions to change the world downgrade to commitments to pay the bills Rather than make a difference, we make a salary. Rather than look forward, we look back. Rather than look outward, we look inward. And we don't like what we see."
1.) Have your convictions changes as you've grown older?
If so, in what way?
2.)Do you like what you see? Explain.
h
3.) Would you have given Moses the job of bringing Israel out of slavery? Explain.
4.) What do you think God saw in Moses? What do you think He might see in you?
" The voice from the bush reminds you that God is not finished with you yet. Oh, you may think he is. You may think you've peaked. You may think he's got someone else to do the job. If so, think again."
5.) Have you ever had a " burning bush" experience? If so, describe it.
6.) What do you think God may still be calling you to do?
Wisdom from the Word:
Read Exodus 6:28-7:6. What did Moses think of himself? What did God think of him? Whose opinion won out?
Read Hebrews 11:24-28. According to this passage, how did Moses accomplish what he did? How does this relate to you?
Read Philipians 1:6. What promise is given in this verse? How can it change the way you live? Does it affect the way you live personally? Explain
The Voice from the Mop Bucket
Chapter One:
The hallway is silent except for the wheels of the mop bucket and the shuffle of the old man's feet. Both sound tired.
Both know these floors. How many nights has Hank cleaned them? Always careful to get in the corners. Always careful to set up his yellow caution sign warning of wet floors. Always chuckling as he does. " Be careful everyone," he laughs to himself, knowing no one is near. Not at three A.M.
Hank's health isn't what it used to be. Gout keeps him awake. Arthritis makes him limp. His glasses are thick his eyeballs look twice their size. Shoulders stoop. But he does his work. Slopping soapy water on linoleum. Scrubbing the heel marks left by the well-heeled lawyers. He'll be finished an hour before quitting time. Always finishes early. Has for twenty years.
When finished he'll put away his bucket and take a seat outside the office of the senior partner and wait. Never leaves early. Could. No one would know. But he doesn't.
He broke the rules once. Never again.
Sometimes, if the door is open, he'll enter the office. Not for long. Just to look. The suite is larger than his apartment. He'll run his finger over the desk. He'll stroke the soft leather couch. He'll stand at the window and watch the gray sky turn gold. And he'll remember.
He once had such an office.
Back when Hank was Henry. Back when the custodian was an executive. Long ago. Before the night shift. Before the mop bucket. Before the maintenance uniform. Before the scandal.
Hank doesn't think about it much now. No reason to. Got in trouble, got fired, and got out. That's it. Not many people know about it. Better that way. No need to tell them.
It's his secret.
Hank's story, by the way, is true. I changed the name and a detail or two. I gave him a different job and put him in a different century. But the story is factual. You've heard it. You know it. When I give you his real name, you'll remember.
But more than a true story, it's a common story. It's a story of a derailed dream. It's story of high hopes colliding with harsh realities.
Happens to all dreamers. And since all have dreamed, it happened to us all.
In Hank's case, it was a mistake he could never forget. A grave mistake. Hank killed someone. He came upon a thug beating up an innocent man, and Hank lost control. He killed the mugger. When word got out, Hank got out.
Hank would rather hide than go to jail. So he ran. The executive became a fugitive.
True story. Common story. Most stories aren't as extreme as Hank's. Few spend their lives running from the law. Many, however, live with regrets.
" I could have gone to college on a golf scholarship," a fellow told me just last week on the fourth tee box. " Had an offer right out of school. But I joined a rock-and-roll band. Ended up never going. Now I'm stuck fixing garage doors."
" Now I'm stuck," Epitaph of a derailed dream.
Pick up a high school yearbook and read the " What I want to do" sentence under each picture. You'll get dizzy breathing the thin air of mountaintop visions:
" Ivy league-school."
" Write books and live in Switzerland."
" Physician in a Third World country."
" Teach inner-city kids."
Yet, take the yearbook to a twentieth-year reunion and read the next chapter. Some dreams have come true, but many haven't. Not that all should, mind you. I hope the little guy who dreamed of being a sumo wrestler came to his senses. And I hope he didn't lose his passion in the process. Changing direction in life is not tragic. Losing passion in life is.
Something happens to us along the way. Convictions to change the world downgrade to commitments to pay the bills. Rather than make a difference, we make a salary. Rather than look forward, we look back. Rather than look outward, we look inward.
And we don't like what we see.
Hank didn't. Hank saw a man who'd settled for the mediocre. Trained in the finest institutions of the world, yet working the night shift in a minimum-wage job so he wouldn't be seen in the day.
But all that changed when he heard the voice from the mop bucket. ( Did I mention that his story is true?)
At first he thought the voice was a joke. Some of the fellows on the third floor play these kinds of tricks.
" Henry, Henry," the voice called.
Hank turned. No one called him Henry anymore.
" Henry, Henry."
He turned toward the pail. It was glowing. Bright red. Hot red. He could feel the heat ten feet away. He stepped closer and looked in. The water wasn't boiling.
" This is strange," Hank mumbled to himself as he took another step to get a closer look. But the voice stopped him.
" Don't come any closer. Take off your shoes. You are on holy tile."
Suddenly Hank knew who was speaking. " God?"
I'm not making this up. I know you think I am. Sounds crazy. Almost irreverent. God speaking from a hot mop bucket to a janitor named Hank? Would it be believable if I had said God was speaking from a burning bush to a shepherd named Moses?
Maybe that one's easier to handle--because you've heard it before. But just because it's Moses and a bush rather than Hank and a bucket, it's no less spectacular.
It sure shocked the sandals off Moses. We wonder what amazed the old fellow more: that God spoke in a bush or that God spoke at all.
You remember his story. Adopted mobility. An Israelite reared in an Egyptian palace. His countrymen were slave, but Moses was privileged. Ate at the royal table. Educated in the finest schools.
But his most influential teacher had no degree. She was his mother. A Jewess who was hired to be his nanny. " Moses," you can almost hear her whisper to her young son, " God has put you here on purpose. Someday you will set your people free. Never forget, Moses. Never forget."
Moses didn't. The flame of justice grew hotter until it blazed. Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. Just like Hank killed the mugger, Moses killed the Egyptian.
The next day Moses saw the Hebrew. You'd think the slave would say thanks. He didn't. Rather than express gratitude, he expressed anger. " Will you kill me too?" he asked ( see exodus 2:14).
Moses knew he was in trouble. He fled Egypt and hid in the wilderness. Call it a career shift. He went from dinning with the heads of state to counting heads of sheep.
Hardly an upward move.
And so it happened that a bright, promising Hebrew began herding sheep in the hills. From the Ivy League to the cotton patch. From the Oval Office to a taxicab.
From swinging a golf club to digging a ditch.
Moses thought the move was permanent. There is no indication he ever intended to go back to Egypt. In fact, there is every indication he wanted to stay with his sheep. Standing barefoot before the bush, he confessed, " I am not a great man! How can I go to the king and lead the Israelites out of Egypt?" ( Exodus 3:11).
I'm glad Moses asked that question. It's a good one. Why Moses? Or, more specifically, why eighty-year-old Moses?
The forty-year-old version was more appealing. The Moses we saw in Egypt was brash and confident. But the Moses we find four decades later is reluctant and weather beaten.
Had you or I looked at Moses back in Egypt, we would have said, " This man is ready for battle." Educated in the finest system in the world. Trained by the ablest soldiers. Instant access to the inner circle of the Pharaoh.
Moses spoke their language and knew their habits. He was the perfect man for the job.
Moses at forty we like. But Moses at eighty? No way. Too old. Too tired. Smells like a shepherd. Speaks like a foreigner. What impact would he have on Pharaoh? He's the wrong man for the job.
And Moses would have agreed. " Tried that once before," he would say. " Those people don't want to be helped. Just leave me here to tend my sheep. They're easier to lead."
Moses wouldn't have gone. You wouldn't have sent him. I wouldn't have sent him.
But God did. How do you figure? Benched at forty and suited up at eighty. Why? What does he know now that he didn't know then? What did he learn in the desert that he didn't learn in Egypt?
The ways of the desert, for one. Forty-year-old Moses was a city boy. Octogenarian Moses knows the name of every snake and the location of every watering hole. If he's going to lead thousands of Hebrews into the wilderness, he better know the basics of desert life 101.
Family dynamics, for another. If he's going to be traveling with families for forty years, it might help to understand how they work. He marries a woman of faith, the daughter of a Midianite priest, and establishes his own family.
But more than the ways of the desert and the people, Moses needed to learn something about himself.
Apparently he has learned it. God says Moses is ready.
And to convince him, God speaks through a bush. ( Had to do something dramatic to get Moses' attention.)
" Schools out," God tells him. " Now it's time to get to work." Poor Moses. He didn't even know he was enrolled.
But he was. And, guess what. So are you. The voice from the bush is the voice that whispers to you. It reminds you that God is not finished with you yet. Oh, you may think he is. You may think you've peaked. You may think he's got someone else to do the job.
If so, think again.
" God began doing a work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again."
Did you see what God is doing? A good work in you. Did you see when he will be finished? When Jesus comes again.
May I spell out the message? God ain't finished with you yet.
Your Father wants you to know that. And to convince you, he may surprise you. He may speak through a bush, a mop bucket, or stranger still, he may speak through this book.
The hallway is silent except for the wheels of the mop bucket and the shuffle of the old man's feet. Both sound tired.
Both know these floors. How many nights has Hank cleaned them? Always careful to get in the corners. Always careful to set up his yellow caution sign warning of wet floors. Always chuckling as he does. " Be careful everyone," he laughs to himself, knowing no one is near. Not at three A.M.
Hank's health isn't what it used to be. Gout keeps him awake. Arthritis makes him limp. His glasses are thick his eyeballs look twice their size. Shoulders stoop. But he does his work. Slopping soapy water on linoleum. Scrubbing the heel marks left by the well-heeled lawyers. He'll be finished an hour before quitting time. Always finishes early. Has for twenty years.
When finished he'll put away his bucket and take a seat outside the office of the senior partner and wait. Never leaves early. Could. No one would know. But he doesn't.
He broke the rules once. Never again.
Sometimes, if the door is open, he'll enter the office. Not for long. Just to look. The suite is larger than his apartment. He'll run his finger over the desk. He'll stroke the soft leather couch. He'll stand at the window and watch the gray sky turn gold. And he'll remember.
He once had such an office.
Back when Hank was Henry. Back when the custodian was an executive. Long ago. Before the night shift. Before the mop bucket. Before the maintenance uniform. Before the scandal.
Hank doesn't think about it much now. No reason to. Got in trouble, got fired, and got out. That's it. Not many people know about it. Better that way. No need to tell them.
It's his secret.
Hank's story, by the way, is true. I changed the name and a detail or two. I gave him a different job and put him in a different century. But the story is factual. You've heard it. You know it. When I give you his real name, you'll remember.
But more than a true story, it's a common story. It's a story of a derailed dream. It's story of high hopes colliding with harsh realities.
Happens to all dreamers. And since all have dreamed, it happened to us all.
In Hank's case, it was a mistake he could never forget. A grave mistake. Hank killed someone. He came upon a thug beating up an innocent man, and Hank lost control. He killed the mugger. When word got out, Hank got out.
Hank would rather hide than go to jail. So he ran. The executive became a fugitive.
True story. Common story. Most stories aren't as extreme as Hank's. Few spend their lives running from the law. Many, however, live with regrets.
" I could have gone to college on a golf scholarship," a fellow told me just last week on the fourth tee box. " Had an offer right out of school. But I joined a rock-and-roll band. Ended up never going. Now I'm stuck fixing garage doors."
" Now I'm stuck," Epitaph of a derailed dream.
Pick up a high school yearbook and read the " What I want to do" sentence under each picture. You'll get dizzy breathing the thin air of mountaintop visions:
" Ivy league-school."
" Write books and live in Switzerland."
" Physician in a Third World country."
" Teach inner-city kids."
Yet, take the yearbook to a twentieth-year reunion and read the next chapter. Some dreams have come true, but many haven't. Not that all should, mind you. I hope the little guy who dreamed of being a sumo wrestler came to his senses. And I hope he didn't lose his passion in the process. Changing direction in life is not tragic. Losing passion in life is.
Something happens to us along the way. Convictions to change the world downgrade to commitments to pay the bills. Rather than make a difference, we make a salary. Rather than look forward, we look back. Rather than look outward, we look inward.
And we don't like what we see.
Hank didn't. Hank saw a man who'd settled for the mediocre. Trained in the finest institutions of the world, yet working the night shift in a minimum-wage job so he wouldn't be seen in the day.
But all that changed when he heard the voice from the mop bucket. ( Did I mention that his story is true?)
At first he thought the voice was a joke. Some of the fellows on the third floor play these kinds of tricks.
" Henry, Henry," the voice called.
Hank turned. No one called him Henry anymore.
" Henry, Henry."
He turned toward the pail. It was glowing. Bright red. Hot red. He could feel the heat ten feet away. He stepped closer and looked in. The water wasn't boiling.
" This is strange," Hank mumbled to himself as he took another step to get a closer look. But the voice stopped him.
" Don't come any closer. Take off your shoes. You are on holy tile."
Suddenly Hank knew who was speaking. " God?"
I'm not making this up. I know you think I am. Sounds crazy. Almost irreverent. God speaking from a hot mop bucket to a janitor named Hank? Would it be believable if I had said God was speaking from a burning bush to a shepherd named Moses?
Maybe that one's easier to handle--because you've heard it before. But just because it's Moses and a bush rather than Hank and a bucket, it's no less spectacular.
It sure shocked the sandals off Moses. We wonder what amazed the old fellow more: that God spoke in a bush or that God spoke at all.
You remember his story. Adopted mobility. An Israelite reared in an Egyptian palace. His countrymen were slave, but Moses was privileged. Ate at the royal table. Educated in the finest schools.
But his most influential teacher had no degree. She was his mother. A Jewess who was hired to be his nanny. " Moses," you can almost hear her whisper to her young son, " God has put you here on purpose. Someday you will set your people free. Never forget, Moses. Never forget."
Moses didn't. The flame of justice grew hotter until it blazed. Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. Just like Hank killed the mugger, Moses killed the Egyptian.
The next day Moses saw the Hebrew. You'd think the slave would say thanks. He didn't. Rather than express gratitude, he expressed anger. " Will you kill me too?" he asked ( see exodus 2:14).
Moses knew he was in trouble. He fled Egypt and hid in the wilderness. Call it a career shift. He went from dinning with the heads of state to counting heads of sheep.
Hardly an upward move.
And so it happened that a bright, promising Hebrew began herding sheep in the hills. From the Ivy League to the cotton patch. From the Oval Office to a taxicab.
From swinging a golf club to digging a ditch.
Moses thought the move was permanent. There is no indication he ever intended to go back to Egypt. In fact, there is every indication he wanted to stay with his sheep. Standing barefoot before the bush, he confessed, " I am not a great man! How can I go to the king and lead the Israelites out of Egypt?" ( Exodus 3:11).
I'm glad Moses asked that question. It's a good one. Why Moses? Or, more specifically, why eighty-year-old Moses?
The forty-year-old version was more appealing. The Moses we saw in Egypt was brash and confident. But the Moses we find four decades later is reluctant and weather beaten.
Had you or I looked at Moses back in Egypt, we would have said, " This man is ready for battle." Educated in the finest system in the world. Trained by the ablest soldiers. Instant access to the inner circle of the Pharaoh.
Moses spoke their language and knew their habits. He was the perfect man for the job.
Moses at forty we like. But Moses at eighty? No way. Too old. Too tired. Smells like a shepherd. Speaks like a foreigner. What impact would he have on Pharaoh? He's the wrong man for the job.
And Moses would have agreed. " Tried that once before," he would say. " Those people don't want to be helped. Just leave me here to tend my sheep. They're easier to lead."
Moses wouldn't have gone. You wouldn't have sent him. I wouldn't have sent him.
But God did. How do you figure? Benched at forty and suited up at eighty. Why? What does he know now that he didn't know then? What did he learn in the desert that he didn't learn in Egypt?
The ways of the desert, for one. Forty-year-old Moses was a city boy. Octogenarian Moses knows the name of every snake and the location of every watering hole. If he's going to lead thousands of Hebrews into the wilderness, he better know the basics of desert life 101.
Family dynamics, for another. If he's going to be traveling with families for forty years, it might help to understand how they work. He marries a woman of faith, the daughter of a Midianite priest, and establishes his own family.
But more than the ways of the desert and the people, Moses needed to learn something about himself.
Apparently he has learned it. God says Moses is ready.
And to convince him, God speaks through a bush. ( Had to do something dramatic to get Moses' attention.)
" Schools out," God tells him. " Now it's time to get to work." Poor Moses. He didn't even know he was enrolled.
But he was. And, guess what. So are you. The voice from the bush is the voice that whispers to you. It reminds you that God is not finished with you yet. Oh, you may think he is. You may think you've peaked. You may think he's got someone else to do the job.
If so, think again.
" God began doing a work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again."
Did you see what God is doing? A good work in you. Did you see when he will be finished? When Jesus comes again.
May I spell out the message? God ain't finished with you yet.
Your Father wants you to know that. And to convince you, he may surprise you. He may speak through a bush, a mop bucket, or stranger still, he may speak through this book.
The Song of the Ministrel
My wife loves antiques. I don't. ( I find them a bit old.) But because I love my wife, I occasionally find myself guiding three children through an antique store while Denalyn shops. Such is the price of love. The secret to survival in a shop of relics is to find a chair and an old book and settle down for the long haul. That's what I did yesterday. After cautioning the children to look with their eyes and not with their hands, I sat down in an overstuffed rocker with some Life magazines from the fifties. That's when I heard the music. Piano music. Beautiful music. Vintage Rogers and Hammerstein. The hills were alive with the sound of someone's skill at the keyboard. I turned to see who was playing, but couldn't see anyone. I stood and walked closer. A small group of listeners had gathered at the old upright piano. Between the furniture I could see the small back of the pianist. Why, it's only a child! With a few more steps I could see her hair. Short, blonde, and cute like...My heart, it's Andrea! Our seven-year-old was at the piano, her hands racing up and down the keyboard. I was stunned. What gift of heaven is that she can play in such a way? Must be a time-released gene she got from my side of the family. But as I drew closer, I saw the real reason. Andrea was " playing" a player piano. She wasn't commanding the keyboard; she was trying to keep up with it. Though it appeared she was playing the song, in reality, she was only trying to keep up with one already written. When a key would dip, her hands would dash.
Oh, but if you could have seen her little face, delighted with laughter! Eyes dancing as would her feet had she been able to stand and play at the same time.
I could see why she was so happy. She sat down to attempt " chopsticks" but instead played " The Sound of Music." What's more, she couldn't fail. One greater than she was dictating the sound. Andrea was free to play as much as she wanted, knowing the music would never suffer.
It's no wonder she rejoiced. She had every reason to. And so do we.
Hasn't God promised the same to us? We sit at the keyboard, willing to play the only song we know, only to discover a new song. A sublime song. And nobody is more surprised than we are when our meager efforts are converted into melodious moments.
You have one, you know, a song all your own. Each of us does. The only question is, will you play it?
By the way, as I watched Andrea " play" that day in the antique store I observed a couple of things.
I noticed the piano got all the credit. The gathered crowd appreciated Andrea's efforts, but they knew the real source of the music. When God works, the same is true. We may applaud the disciple, but no one knows better than the disciple who really deserves the praise.
But that doesn't keep the disciple from sitting at the bench. It sure didn't keep Andrea from sitting at the piano. Why? Because she knew she couldn't fail. Even though she didn't understand how it worked, she knew it did.
So she sat at the keyboard--and had the time of her life. Even though you may not understand how God works, you know he does.
So go ahead. Pull up a bench, take your seat at the piano, and play.
Oh, but if you could have seen her little face, delighted with laughter! Eyes dancing as would her feet had she been able to stand and play at the same time.
I could see why she was so happy. She sat down to attempt " chopsticks" but instead played " The Sound of Music." What's more, she couldn't fail. One greater than she was dictating the sound. Andrea was free to play as much as she wanted, knowing the music would never suffer.
It's no wonder she rejoiced. She had every reason to. And so do we.
Hasn't God promised the same to us? We sit at the keyboard, willing to play the only song we know, only to discover a new song. A sublime song. And nobody is more surprised than we are when our meager efforts are converted into melodious moments.
You have one, you know, a song all your own. Each of us does. The only question is, will you play it?
By the way, as I watched Andrea " play" that day in the antique store I observed a couple of things.
I noticed the piano got all the credit. The gathered crowd appreciated Andrea's efforts, but they knew the real source of the music. When God works, the same is true. We may applaud the disciple, but no one knows better than the disciple who really deserves the praise.
But that doesn't keep the disciple from sitting at the bench. It sure didn't keep Andrea from sitting at the piano. Why? Because she knew she couldn't fail. Even though she didn't understand how it worked, she knew it did.
So she sat at the keyboard--and had the time of her life. Even though you may not understand how God works, you know he does.
So go ahead. Pull up a bench, take your seat at the piano, and play.
One Church, Many Parts
Ephesians 4
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore He says:
" When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive. And gave gifts to men."
( Now this, " He ascended"--what does it mean but that He also first" descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men. In the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does it share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Therefore, putting away lying, " Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. " Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore He says:
" When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive. And gave gifts to men."
( Now this, " He ascended"--what does it mean but that He also first" descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men. In the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does it share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Therefore, putting away lying, " Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. " Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Did I Do That?
Spiritual Gifts:
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it....
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ....
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work....
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully....
All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
Scriptures: Ephesians 4:7, 11-13, 16; Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:11
Defining Moments:
God made you with an inborn set of natural abilities, things that have just always come easily to you. Maybe you have a nice singing voice or a flair for calligraphy. Maybe you're good with numbers or can fix anything on wheels. You've trained these abilities, honed them. But the raw materials and understanding were built into your natural makeup. They are gifts from God in every sense of the word.
Now that you've become a Christian, though, God, has given you an extra set of gifts--spiritual gifts--to equip you to play the vital role He's given you in His church. Where natural gift may dictate the kind of work you've chosen, the hobbies you enjoy, or the subjects you like most in school, spiritual gifts are designed to activate your field of ministry. They supercharge you with un-natural abilities to give, to comfort, to challenge, or to speak with boldness. They won't take the place of the things you do well, but they will open up new vistas of opportunity--and responsibility--for you to be all that God created you to be.
Next Up:
God has given you an indescribable gift and the incredible experience of living in His power. But Christianity isn't all about receiving. Are you ready to give it all?
You already had a nice little handful of talents before you came to God. But look at you now.
" Every member of the Body has the potential to be--and should be led and fed toward functioning as-a fully equipped agent of Jesus Christ."
-Jack HAyford
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it....
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ....
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work....
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully....
All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
Scriptures: Ephesians 4:7, 11-13, 16; Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:11
Defining Moments:
God made you with an inborn set of natural abilities, things that have just always come easily to you. Maybe you have a nice singing voice or a flair for calligraphy. Maybe you're good with numbers or can fix anything on wheels. You've trained these abilities, honed them. But the raw materials and understanding were built into your natural makeup. They are gifts from God in every sense of the word.
Now that you've become a Christian, though, God, has given you an extra set of gifts--spiritual gifts--to equip you to play the vital role He's given you in His church. Where natural gift may dictate the kind of work you've chosen, the hobbies you enjoy, or the subjects you like most in school, spiritual gifts are designed to activate your field of ministry. They supercharge you with un-natural abilities to give, to comfort, to challenge, or to speak with boldness. They won't take the place of the things you do well, but they will open up new vistas of opportunity--and responsibility--for you to be all that God created you to be.
Next Up:
God has given you an indescribable gift and the incredible experience of living in His power. But Christianity isn't all about receiving. Are you ready to give it all?
You already had a nice little handful of talents before you came to God. But look at you now.
" Every member of the Body has the potential to be--and should be led and fed toward functioning as-a fully equipped agent of Jesus Christ."
-Jack HAyford
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