my response looks alot like Gideon's

When I read how Gideon responded to God in Judges 6, I thought: " this is how I feel sometimes."


God has given Isreal to Midianite oppression and they have lost their food, crops and morale. The angel of the Lord appears to Gideon and says: " The Lord is with you O valiant warrior." Gideon says: " If the Lord is with us, then why is all this happening to us ? Where are all the miracles that our fathers told us about ? "

I feel your pain Gideon.

God' s response comes a few verses later: " Surely I will be with you and you shall defeat Midian as one man." God's confidence in Himself never wavered. Can you imagine God doubting Himself or saying: " Well, Midian does have a good team this year...." ? No, He said: " I am with you... keep moving forward."

What we have from God

What do we have from God ?

1. Do we have the promise that we will be alive tomorrow ?
2. Do we have the answer to what city to go to or what job to take ?
3. Do we know that our children are safe from all tragedy ?

The answer to all three questions would be " no." What do we have from God then ? It seems to me after reading several places in the Old testament that we have the promise of His presence. We have the assurance that God is with us and won't fail us. " Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass." ( Joshua 21:45)

After tracking this idea here's what I found:

1. " I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20

2. " And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, 'Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city." ( Acts 18:9-10)

encouragement: go on speaking


3. "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."
( Matthew 18:20)


4. " Certainly, I will be with you..." Exodus 3:12


5. "Now then, go and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say."

Exodus 4:12


encouragement: He equips us


6. From those who brought back the minority report from spying out the land:

" Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us, do not fear them."
Numbers 14:9



notes: 1. if God is for us, who can be against us ?

2. The people's response in the next verse: " STONE THEM !"

3. In our culture, we kind of exalt doubt and questioning as wise. God often punished those who did not believe His word, or act on His commands.





By the way: " What is the difference between 'waiting on God' and 'delayed obedience ' ?



7. " You shall not dread them, for the Lord your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God."
Deuteronomy 7:21



8. " No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you. I will not fail you or forsake you. "
Joshua 1:5



9. "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you."

Deut. 31:6-7



10. "Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ' I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you' so that we confidently say, ' The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid, what will man do to me ? ' "

Hebrews 13:5-6



Gideon: see next post

why comparison doesn't help

In John 21, Jesus describes to Peter the path he is about to walk ( I mean the path Peter will take .)

After thinking about this, Peter points to John and says: " What about him? " Jesus says: " If I want him to remain, what is that to you ? You follow Me !"

I take from this that the Lord may have different paths for people. When we find ourselves looking around at that person or that situation, the Lord may be saying to us: " What is that to you ? You follow Me."

Comparison ( frequently) doesn't help when thinking through your life.

writing blogs or just quoting other people ?

Sometimes I wonder if people actually write their own stuff or just quote other people....

so after thinking about it... I think I will ...quote Spurgeon:

"For we long to see all religious teaching built upon the solid rock of truth, and not upon the sand of imagination; but, at the same time, our grand object is not the revision of opinions, but the regeneration of natures. We would bring men to Christ, and not to our own peculiar views of Christianity. Our first care must be that the sheep should be gathered to the great Shepherd; there will be time enough afterwards to secure them for our various folds. To make proselytes, is a suitable labour for Pharisees: to beget men unto God, is the honourable aim of ministers of Christ!"

( taken from another blog of someone who didn't write their blog either, but quoted Spurgeon)

The reason I felt compelled to pass along this quote was for the phrase: " We would bring men to Christ, and not to our own peculiar views of Christianity." ( ouch)

I definitely am guilty of doing this and feel the sting of this statement. Thanks Charles for telling it like it is.

Casting lots

In the book of Acts ( chapter 1) the disciples cast lots to decide on Judas replacement. Is this a legitimate way to make decisions in 2009 ? Why or why not ?

hearing the voice of God

I recently listened to a message entitled: "Christianity and the danger of mysticism." It was a warning to believers about using language like : " God said to me..." or " God told me...."
So, if we are to heed this warning what do we do with passages in Scripture where the word of God says: " He told me..." " He said to me..." ?

1. Isaiah 30:21 And your ears will hear a word behind you, " This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left.


2. Acts 22:21 " And He said to me, 'Go ! For I will send you far away to the gentiles.'"


So it seems that people in the Bible heard God tell them to do things. Does God tell us to do things ? Yes, He obviously tells us things that are scripture verses. An example would be: " and this is the will of God that you __________________." We can say: " God said..." when we quote a Bible verse. Can we say: " God said," when we are talking about going into the teaching profession or starting a paint business ? How does God guide us ? Do we just consecrate ourselves to Him, reject unbiblical thinking, love our families and then.....do what we want ?

alternatives

I used to go for walks at night through the neighborhood and experienced what I call the "blue glow" effect. This described the colors coming through the windows of the homes from the television. I don't remember ever running into anyone on the streets at night ( maybe one person in 10 years). Most people are in their homes watching tv at night. Some nights... we are too. If you have to be in front of the box at night here are some ideas for redemptive television:

1. Homeless man ( the biography of Rich Mullins) 53 minute video

2. Return to Hauna ( parts 1 and 2) part 1 is Come by here ( the story of Marilyn Lazlo who went to Papua New Guinea to translate the Bible into a native language)

3. Louie Giglio messages ( available from North Point Community Alpharetta Ga)
"Indescribable" " Alive" " Tattoo"


4. Beyond the Gates of splendor ( story of Jim Eliot) just google it


5. Transformations ( the sentinel group) documentaries about revivals in South America and Uganda



There's a part of us that just wants to be passively entertained from 8-10 pm. If this is you, try to find a way to learn during this time as well. One more note: this will cost you. It's not easy to find these things at blockbuster. However, if you want to fly with sparrows... just go outside, but if you want to find a bald eagle, you may have to climb awhile.

a glad heart

Deuteronomy 28:47-48

Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve your enemies...

The Lord has been showing me the need for joy in life, work and ministry. Why are we so petty and why do we complain about the smallest things ? I think because we are looking for joy in circumstances. If the joy that is in us is from the Lord, then nothing can smother it. If our joy is in good food, good feelings, good weather, good pay, no problems,etc... then we will constantly be floating in and out of joy.

the art of small talk

in response to my own post...

I do think there is a place for small talk and I don't think every single conversation has to be a deep theological discussion to meet the requirements for redeeming the time.

Stephen knew the Old Testament

I read Acts 6-7 this morning and found about 18 things about Stephen that I thought were noteworthy. In some ways, this feels like an outlet to me. I have a desire to share truth, but those outlets are different now. Here they are:


Stephen:

1. He had a good reputation. ( 6:3)

2. He was full of the Holy Spirit. ( 6:3)

3. He was full of wisdom ( 6:3)

4. He was reliable. ( 6:3)

5. He was full of faith. ( 6:5)

6. He was full of grace. ( 6:8)

7. He was full of power. ( 6:8)

8. He faced opposition/ criticism. ( 6:9,12)

9. He could not be refuted. ( 6:10)

10. He was lied about/ falsely accused. ( 6:13)

11. He was misunderstood. ( 6:13)

12. He was ready to testify. ( 7:1) see also I Peter 3:15

13. He was bold ( whole chapter)

14. He was informed of OT history and could quote OT passages at length.

15. He was willing to confront sin. ( 7:51)

16. In a crisis, he kept his eyes on Jesus. ( 7:55) ( He had eyes of faith to see Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father... did anyone else there see this ? )

17. When things turned ugly, he didn't change his mind to avoid pain /even death... he was willing to die for what he was convinced of. ( 7:58)

18. He was gracious to those who opposed him. ( 7:60)


Note: There are times when I read the word without a pen and paper and it still means something to me,however, when I write down what I read it adds so much. I can't say this enough: study with pen and paper. Write it down !

little by little

I found Deut 7:22 to be very encouraging. The Lord told His people that He would conquer the nations before them and give them the land... however, it would be little by little and not all at once. This verse helped me to grab a perspective on how God works.

knowing the future

Sometimes I ask people : " if you could know the future, would you want to know it ? "

Usually, they don't. You have chosen wisely. I think if we knew the future we would either get discouraged or become complacent. Recently I came across some good words for comfort in uncertain times...

Psalm 4:8 In peace, I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.

Psalm 9:10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You. For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.


2 Timothy 4:18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

slow and disinterested

It seems to me that the cure for " the blues" is to serve other people. When I am involved in caring, praying for and serving other people I feel God's pleasure and sense a real purpose that goes beyond just surviving and paying bills.

Mark 10:45 For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many.

faith

Jesus said in Luke 17 that if you had faith the size of a mustard seed that you could tell a mulberry tree to move to the sea and it would obey you. Have you ever tried to move a tree before ? It's not easy. Last year I tried to move a small oleander out of our side yard and I couldn't do it. It took a large truck to move this thing after I had been digging for hours.

It seems like Jesus is saying: do you think this ____________ is impossible ? If you have faith... it can happen. I think I doubt to protect myself. I stay negative and pessimistic so I won't get my hopes up so that when it doesn't happen I can say : "well, I figured that..."

What builds your faith ? ( see Romans 10:17)

Faith comes from hearing...

and hearing by the word of Christ.

Application: how have you found ways to have Christ's word go through you ?

our stuff

In Luke 14, Jesus says that if you do not give up all your possessions, you cannot be His disciple.

What does this mean ?

me myself and I

I was thinking of Philippians 2 recently which talks about looking out for the interests of others and not just your own. So, I looked up some scripture that has to do with selfishness...



What are the explosives we use to destroy the tendency to act in a self seeking way ?


Explosive # 1 IDEAS

( Biblical ideas)



Biblical idea # 1 Jesus’ harshest condemnations were toward the Pharisees for being self indulgent.

“they clean the outside of the cup, but inside they are full of robbery and self indulgence..”

Do I want to align myself with the people Jesus often condemned for being self centered ?



Biblical idea # 2 God will “bring to an end” those who exalt themselves

Jeremiah 48:29-35 Moab was “self exalting”
V 35 “ I will make an end of Moab.”

Point: when you are selfish, you put yourself in competition with God
( see also I Samuel 2:10 Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered )

Even more: Nahum 1:9 “ Whatever you devise against the Lord, He will make a complete end of it. “

Self exalting people are in competition with God and He has said clearly in Isaiah 42:8, “ I will not share my glory with another.”






Biblical Idea # 3 Selfish people just make it worse on themselves

Isaiah 28:22 “ do not carry on as scoffers ( selfish people) or your fetters will be made stronger; For I have heard from the Lord God of Hosts of decisive destruction on all the earth.”



Biblical Idea # 4 the self ( the old self) is being corrupted

Ephesians 4:22 “ that in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit…”

Why get on a train headed for derailment ?

pure joy

I went fishing in the mountains of northern New Mexico a few days ago and caught a few rainbow trout. I had a lot of time to think about life and the future. When I was younger, I would want to fish for 10 hours straight. As much as I still enjoy it, I found myself alone alot and wondering. What I discovered is that the thrill of catching fish for myself was not nearly as meaningful as watching my kids catch fish. When I finally got them into the river and they begin to catch fish for themselves, it was amazing. It made me think about enjoyment that is limited to yourself. It just doesn't mean as much. I read somewhere years ago that when we like something we want other people to enjoy it with us. The author said that "praise" not only expresses the enjoyment but completes it. We want to praise something/ someone and then tell someone else. Think about kids who want to tell you all about their new lego creation or the wife who wants to tell you about strawberries on sale at Albertson's. We have a desire for someone else to enjoy what we are enjoying. It really can't be just anyone... we want to tell our friends. I can tell a homeless person about the fish I caught... but if the right person sees me, then it means so much more.
Do you enjoy forgiveness for your sins ? Why don't we get more excited about telling other people about this ? I just wonder sometimes why we are so "into" the stuff we are into and yet we essentially ignore the commission Jesus gave us. I'm talking to myself here and wondering why I don't share my faith more. I'm tired, I've got too much to do, I'm intimidated and on and on... I heard someone say that in order to cast compelling vision you must be captured by that vision.

What are you captured by today ? Is the extent of your vision your wife's cooking and the remote control for 3 hours in the evening ? Is the extent of your vision an hourly wage and a three day weekend ? Do you ever stop to think about the reality of heaven and hell ? It's so easy to get focused on just "getting through the day" and paying the bills and mowing the lawn and planning the vacation and going to Sam's and cleaning the garage and ..... and ...and...

Luke 9 " He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God..."

Just John

I am reading through the book of Luke right now and came across some things regarding John the Baptist:

1. if you look at chapter 3 it lists all the important people of the time and their titles.... and then the text says...." the word of the Lord came to John... in the wilderness..."


2. When the listeners asked John, " how do we bear fruit in keeping with repentance ? " this is how he responded:
1. share your stuff
2. don't be greedy
3. don't lie
4. be content with your wages


So, the next time you are wondering what God's will is for your life, you can find it in Luke 3.

mature

Colossians 1:28 says: “ We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching everyone so that we may present every man complete in Christ….”

The word for complete is “telos” or “mature.”

The same thing shows up in Hebrews 5:14 : “ But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”


I was talking to one of my friends in Birmingham and I asked him how he was doing spiritually and he said: “ how do you measure spiritual growth ? “ I thought this was a good question and when I thought about it, I went looking for answers in the Scriptures….here’s what I found:


A mature person is someone who exercises their gift in the church. ( Eph 4:13)
they are also equipped for service
they also equip others for service



2. I Corinthians 13 A mature person demonstrates love.

All of our giftings and knowledge without love amount to nothing.



3. A mature person works toward unity with other believers.
a. Philippians 2
b. I Corinthians 1;10
c. Amos 3:3


4. A mature person is a servant
a. Mark 10:45 “ For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. “

b.I Peter 4:11 ff


5. A mature person is mature in his thinking and an “infant” concerning evil.
a. I Cor. 14:20


6. A mature person is teachable. ( Colossians 1:28)


7. A mature person is able to discern good and evil even without a Bible verse. ( see also birth control, gambling, educational choices, etc…)
a. Hebrews 5:14




8. A wise man can receive correction. ( multiple proverbs)



9. A mature person brings forth vegetation. ( Hebrews 6)

- It makes sense to me that this would be related to Galatians 5 ( fruit of the Spirit)
- Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control




10. A mature person is diligent ( not sluggish)

a. Hebrews 6:11-12



11. Mature people are people who give.

- Matthew 5:42 “ Give to him who asks you…”



12. Mature people love their enemies. ( Matthew 5:44)



13. Mature people pray for those who persecute them. ( Luke 6)

problem of evil

Topic: The problem of evil

How can the Bible be true when we know that there are babies who die, and people get cancer and are killed by Tsunamis ? If God is in “control of everything” how do you account for pain and suffering that seems to have been caused by Him ?

This question has been asked for a long time and there are no easy answers. The short answer is this:

In order for things like love, freedom and enjoyment to exist, there must necessarily be pain, evil and suffering.

Ok, that being said we also have to establish this: what will be the basis for our truth ? The question is not : “ what is truth ? “ but a better question is : “ where do we go to find truth ? “ The El Paso times ? Inside of ourselves ? God’s word ? What will we accept as an authoritative word on life ? I am convinced of the truth of God’s word and here are some thoughts from the Bible that specifically address the question of pain and suffering in the world:

# 1 Isaiah 45: 6-7 “ I am the Lord, there is no other; besides Me there is no God. ( I am) the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these.”


( comment: God does not apologize for natural disasters but takes responsibility for them.)

# 2 Genesis 6:17 God states that He will bring a flood on the earth to destroy people.

( comment: Even still, He saves Noah and his family.)


#3. Amos 3:6 “ If a calamity occurs in a city has not the Lord done it ? “

( again: The Lord states without apology… “ I brought this about…” )


#4. John 9:1-5 The disciples were walking with Jesus and they came across a blind man and asked Him ( Jesus), “ who sinned, this man or his parents that he should be born blind ? “ Jesus answered: “ It was neither this man nor his parents that sinned, but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in Him.”


#5. Luke 13 A tower fell on some people. Jesus comments: “ Do you think that these people were worse sinners than other people ? I tell you ‘no’ but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

( comment: Jesus really doesn’t answer the question of why this happened. He just says this should motivate us to repent so we are ready for death. )

Ok, there are several verses that seem to make God out to be a mean person, but think about this way. What if you built a house for yourself and then put a guest house out back with a pool ? You invited some friends to stay in your guest house and use your pool. You gave them a hospitality bar that was fully loaded and you paid all of their bills for them. You gave them a car, paid their insurance and provided them with daily meals.
After all this kindness, they begin to come into your house and steal from your wallet. They never clean up after themselves. They even got to the point where they took your debit card and put you in financial bind because of excess spending. They ran up excessive cell phone bills and abused just about everything you gave them. At some point you would say: “ that’ s it “ and kick them out. When you tried to do this, they got so angry they assaulted your daughters and attempted murder on some of your family members.
Needless to say, your relationship with these people would be broken. You might even want to commit acts of violence against them.

I see this world as God’s house. He gave us fruit, vegetables, cattle, sunlight, rain, scenic overlooks ,taste buds, ears, the ability to touch, warm coffee, and pick up basketball games. At the same time, God in His infinite wisdom has said ( about some things) ,
“ these things will hurt you” in the same way a parent says to a child: “ don’t play in the street.”

What have we done with God’s gifts and God’s rules ? We have abused the gifts and broken the rules.

A brief look at world history reveals that some cultures have practiced child sacrifice, bestiality and a whole list of sins that shouldn’t even be described here ( see El Paso Times). The book of John says that Jesus was full of grace and truth. Grace to forgive sin, but truth to say that there are things that are always right and things that are always wrong.


This is an incomplete thought but in the same way that a child cannot always under a spanking, humans cannot understand how God deals with people who reject Him. I cannot explain why God is merciful to some and not others. I don’t have my own answers to why 100,000 people die in the pacific rim because of a tsunami. All I have is what God’s word says. I don’t fully understand the mind of God, and if I could, He would no longer be God.

Summary: You have wisdom that a 2 year old does not have. You tell that child, “ don’t play in the street.” The child doesn’t understand and if he persists in going into the street, the parent spanks the child. We would also say that the punishment rhymes with the crime. God is an infinite being and to sin against Him deserves an infinite punishment. This is the bad news, but it’s not all the Bible has to say about our condition. God has provided a solution to this problem. I believe God’s word teaches that God did punish someone: His own son. Jesus took the punishment that we deserved and offers us a restored relationship with our Creator.

“ The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
( 2 Peter 3:9)

This relationship that is offered to us cannot be earned by doing good things but is a gift that eliminates all boasting. If salvation were by good works, why would Christ have to suffer and die ?



Afterthoughts:

If you had authority over a group of people ( and you actually created them ) … how are you going to feel when they not only reject you but murder your son ?

If we enjoy love…. then the other side of that is hatred.

3. We have American “lenses” that we interpret events through. Our idea of fairness comes from a Texan, American sense of fairness. Does this line up with what God has written in His word ? I see the issue of “evil and suffering in the world” very much related to our source of truth. What do we think is ultimately true ? Does truth come from our “gut reaction” to what is fair based on our opinion or God’s word ?

4. I am disturbed by the news that “innocent” people died from various causes. But I would seriously question whether they were really “innocent” ? Innocent according to who ? ( The El Paso police dept ? ) Who sets the terms for who is innocent and who is guilty ? If God has revealed His mind to us, what have we done with that revelation ?



Carl

husks

" Most men are not satisfied with the permanent output of their lives. Nothing can wholly satisfy the life of Christ within His followers except the adoption of Christ's purpose toward the world He came to redeem. Fame, pleasure, and riches are but husks and ashes in contrast with the boundless and abiding joy of working with God for the fulfillment of His eternal plans. The men who are putting everything into Christ's undertaking are getting out of life its sweetest and most priceless rewards."

J Campbell White


( qtd in Desiring God by John Piper page 222)

thoughts on the family

Taken from New International Dictionary of Theology ( Colin Brown - roots of education)

Vol 3 page 776

“ The OT bears witness to God’s self revelation to Israel and intervention in his life. In response to His love and care for the chosen people, He expects in return trust and obedience. The priestly nation is to be stamped with God’s nature, and to become increasingly fitted for the sphere of His holiness. The trouble that God has with His people forces Him to severe disciplinary measures, or chastening. But God does not educate in order to achieve an ideal; He watches over His people’s faithfulness, which He intends should flow from trust and from that constant readiness to hear and truly listen which arises from obedience ( to the prophetic message). This education by God, which Israel is ever trying to escape, although for its own good, is shared equally by all members of the nation. There is no special religious education of the young. It is God who educates, and the upbringing of children takes place within the sphere of this God who instructs in love and punishes because of the recalcitrance of His own.
The educational aim of God is to lead His people ( ministry not tyranny) to the realization that they owe their existence to the saving will of Yahweh alone, and therefore owe obedience to their divine instructor ( Deut. 8:1-6). “


Stop – take a breath ---

Page 777

“How does the education of the young proceed in Israel ? God commands that they obey their parents, who are next to Him in importance. The father acts like a priest to the family. He hands on the tradition to the family; he does so in answer to the question of his children ( see Exodus 12:26 ff), and his answer is a confession of God’s saving activity towards Israel. The children are told of this not only in words, but also by means of impressive signs in the form of monumental stones ( Joshua 4:6,21). Education takes place in the execution of justice ( see Achan /and Deut 21:21), and in the teaching of the law. There is no theory of education, no special institutions; but the young become accustomed to the life of the nation, which stands under the loving discipline of God. Watching and listening, they enter into the inheritance of their forefathers. For he who hears aright will obey.”

update

I'm sitting in Rudy's BBQ right now using space on their free wi fi network. It's really hard to sit here and not go to the counter and request about 3 pounds of moist brisket...you know the kind that slides down your throat and comforts you in times of trial. The boys are by my side soaking in a few precious wi fi moments themselves. We chose deliberately to not have internet at the house and so in order to surf the web we go hunting for free wi fi signs.

As I read through the gospels and notice all of the people that Jesus healed there seems to be a thread:
" Go, your faith has made you well." Jesus really focused in on the faith of those who were seeking to be healed. His first priority was not physical healing but that their sins would be forgiven and that they understand His mission was not to be a miracle worker but to establish their hearts in faith toward God. I remember hearing someone say :" When you put your faith in God, you see the results of His power." When I read the Psalms, I feel a kinship with those who wrote: " It is better to trust in the Lord than to put your trust in man." There's a song by Ross King called: "Anchor." I highly recommend this song and the rest of the cd... it's called " Perhaps I've said too much." ( available on i tunes)

email

If you recently sent me a message on facebook, I would be glad to respond through my email account. I would welcome emails but didn't feel like I could manage facebook as well.

off the grid

I feel like I have been off the grid for awhile...which isn't all bad. I have time to think now during my daily commute to work and I just wonder how many people we can have meaningful relationships with in the course of our life. I am thinking of a verse I can't place right now but I think it goes something like this: " a man of many friends will come to ruin...." I will have to get a concordance. I do believe that Luke 6:26 says: " Woe to you when all men speak well of you for this is how they treated the false prophets." In the course of a day with work, family, the word and prayer I don't see how it's realistic to maintain so many friendships. I don't mean this in an isolated way or to be rude... just confused by it. I have emailed people or called people who never wrote back and never called back. I don't think I'm angry because I see that there's a limit to one person's capacity. It could be that I'm the lazy one....

Anyway, I have experienced times of loneliness and know the desire for authentic community. I believe God wired us for relationships and to be encouraged by each other. I think my expectations are definitely unrealistic at times when it comes to what a Biblical friendship looks like. I just read the story of Jonathan and David and was impressed by their loyalty to each other. I think we all want something like this. What's interesting is that the harder you try for a friendship, the more it seems to elude you. However, if you relax and live before the Lord, the friendships seem to have their proper place.

I guess I wrote this blog after looking at facebook for 5 minutes. A word to facebook people: is this a tool for you or an idol ? I think it's fair to ask that question. I have to ask that question about other areas in my life too.

weird

I just wrote an entire blog, published it and then the computer erased it.


The Lord gives and the Lord takes away

Take inventory

eli

I am humbled by Eli. If you haven't read this story in a while, I encourage to look at I Samuel again. Samuel receives a revelation from the Lord concerning Eli and Eli says: " let me have it... don't hold back anything."

Samuel then says: " God is going to judge you because of how you have raised your sons..."

Eli's response: " It is the Lord; let Him do what seems good to Him." "

I am troubled by this passage and at the same time I admire Eli's response. Can you say that about your situation today:

"It is the Lord; let Him do what seems good to Him."

update March 16

Today's mercies are for today's troubles.

" Part of saving faith is the assurance that you will have faith tomorrow."

" Trusting Christ today includes trusting Him to give you tomorrow's trust when tomorrow comes. Often we feel today like our reservoir of strength is not going to last for another day. The fact is, it won't. Today's resources are for today and part of those resources is the confidence that new resources will be given tomorrow. "

( see I Corinthians 10:13)

* adapted from A Godward Life by John Piper

blogworthy quote 2

“ No amount of fees paid to learned doctors and no amount of classics received in return, appear to us to be evidences of a call from above. True and genuine piety is necessary as the first indispensable requisite; whatever “call” a man may pretend to have, if he has not been called to holiness, he certainly, he certainly has not been called to the ministry.”

Charles Spurgeon “ Lectures to my students” page 3

blogworthy quote 1

“ I read the other day, that no phase of evil presented so marvelous a power for destruction, as the unconverted minister of a parish, with a 1200.00 organ, a choir of ungodly singers, and an aristocratic congregation. It was the opinion of the writer, that there could be no greater instrument for damnation than that. People go to their place of worship and sit down comfortably, and think they must be Christians, when all the time all that their religion consists in, is listening to an orator, having their ears tickled with music, and perhaps their eyes amused with graceful action and fashionable manners; the whole being no better than what they hear and see at the opera ….
Thousands are congratulating themselves , and even blessing God that they are devout worshipers, when at the same time they are living in an unregenerate Christless state, having the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. He who presides over a system which aims at nothing higher than formalism, is far more a servant of the devil than a minister of God. “

( Lectures to my students Charles Spurgeon page 6)

update

It's interesting when you stop to think about this question: " what is newsworthy ?"

When I read end of year reports, I usually see numbers and statistics, events participated in, and the like. What's to report ? I suppose I was really encouraged about a month ago when I came home from the store.

Back ground first: We have been in need of a major overhaul on landscaping, but we were waiting for the right time. We had a massive amount of rock in the yard that needed to be hauled off. Have you ever tried to do this with a shovel ? It's like trying to mow 10 lawns with a pair of scissors. So, I come home from the store and I notice my neighbor has a bobcat next to his house ( the kind of machine that moves much rock). So, I say, " Hi Joe" and he volunteers his bobcat to move our rock around. WOW ! I didn't even bring it up... he initiated it. So, the next day, he pushes most of our rock into 3 piles in the front yard and removes a rock wall we needed removed. This was worth quite a bit of dinero. So, I call another friend... he gives me the name of a man with a truck and he comes and removes the piles for a very fair price. So, our landscaping is at least removed for now and we are preparing for the next phase.

Moral of the story: Those who wait on the Lord, will get their strength renewed. We are thankful for how God uses people to participate in our lives.

Also: I made a commitment in June of 2006, to read God's word every day. As a result of that commitment, I feel like my life has changed dramatically. I realize that we all sort of have this goal as a good idea, but when we actually do it, there are rewards that cannot be typed out in a blog of this size. My prayer for you, o reader of the blog, is that you would see the value of reading / studying God's word every day. I have found that if this does not happen in the morning, it becomes next to impossible.


Also: I have witnessed first hand, the value of praying for my kids. I have seen changes in them that have helped me keep going. They certainly have a long way to go, but I am thankful for "setbacks" and "delays" that worked together for their good.


Also: I have found that if you are an irritable person, you will find much to irritate you. As I look around and observe the people who are easily angered I find myself saying: " Lord, don't let me be like that."

Does God have 2 wills ?

Have you ever wondered how God can desire one thing and yet determine that another thing actually come to pass ?

I have too.

This is an article by John Piper called : " Does God have two wills ? " I found it helpful in explaining the relationship between man's responsibility and Divine sovereingty.

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/1995/1580_Are_There_Two_Wills_in_God/

found it

I just googled

" The blessedness of possessing nothing" by Tozer ... here's the link

http://www.theboc.com/freestuff/awtozer/books/the_pursuit_of_god/bless_possess_nothing.html

suggestion

If you can get a copy of " The Pursuit of God" by AW Tozer I highly recommend reading chapter 2 : " The blessedness of possessing nothing."

do we have enemies ?

I try to keep a book by the bed so that before I go to sleep, I just meditate on something worthwhile.

I was reading David Wells ..." The Courage to be Protestant" and came across these statements:

" Today, prodigious amounts of energy are being poured into this effort ( of re thinking the church). Everything, it seems, must be rethought ! We must rethink how it becomes successful ! We must rethink it all because this is what businesses have to do. Their products are all the time dying as new niches and needs arise. So it is in the church. Rethink or die !

The church is not our creation. It is not our business. We are not called upon to manage it. It is not there for us to advance our careers in it. It is not there for our own success. It is not a business. The church was never our idea in the first place. No, it is not the church we need to rethink. Rather it is our thoughts about the church that need to be rethought. It is the church's faithfulness that needs to be reexamined. It is its faithfulness to who it is in Christ, its faithfulness in living out its life in the world, that should be occupying us. "

( page 222-223)

Later he mentions the idea of impacting the culture and I like this:

" Churches that want to influence their culture are so often tempted to think that to be effective they must hide their otherworldliness and become slickly this-worldly.
Churches that actually do influence the culture --- here is the paradox --- distance themselves from it in their internal life. They do not offer what can already be had on secular terms in the culture. They stand outside of its life. "

He continues:

" The temptation the church always experiences is to be like the world. It is the temptation to enjoy the comfort of a majority, to be at home, to be at peace, to have no enemies. However, if the church is to be truly successful, it must be unlike anything else we find in life. As a result, it will undoubtedly make enemies."

( page 224)

freed up

There are certain passages that should free us up from worry, anxiety and the like. One of those is Job 14:5

" Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You, and his limits You have set so that he cannot pass."


Job really had a perspective on God's providence that few of us have. We still go into fits of rage and battle depression and worry when calamity comes. Job knew that God had appointed a certain number of days for us. I think this verse helps me hold on loosely. When riches increase... the Bible says... do not set your heart on them. Paul says: " I have learned how to do without..."

Honestly, how much of our time is spent worrying about money ? ( or planning how to make more) The message from Job to me is this: whether I have alot or little... whether I die today or 50 years from now, God is in control of my life. This is such a freeing concept to me. Who am I afraid of ? What am I afraid of ? Why would we grab and hoard ?


Psalm 65:9 ff You visit the earth and cause it to overflow; You greatly enrich it... You have crowned the year with Your goodness.

God is good.