I recall a "don't knock it until you've tried it" proponent challenging me once in the midst of a conversation: "Do you believe everything your father tells you?" A thought provoking question, to say the least, especially for a boy in his mid-teens. I don't remember how I responded at the moment, but I recall a period of contemplation and a personal conclusion: In my father I had a man of considerable experience, insight and wisdom. I had a father who was a loving man. A prayerful man.
"...believe everything your father tells you?"
My brief life experience had taught me to expect this man's faithfulness, his passion, his commitment to the Lord, to his family and to his neighbors. It was relatively simple for me to answer: "Yes, I believe."
This is not to say I was taught that my father's faith would suffice for my salvation. As a guest preacher on Easter Sunday in 1959, my father said in part: "We asked some weeks ago that each listener ask themselves whether they would this day sing 'Allelujah, Christ is Risen' with their hearts or with their lips. We ask again this hour, not for our information but for your joy, whether He has risen for you? Christ lives and offers life! Have you taken the life of His body and blood into your own and made His victory over death your joyous reason for singing His praise this Easter Sunday? A Christian is one who has Christ. One who has Christ is hungry for His word and sacrament. If everyone here were a Christian, this house of God would ring with the song of Easter joy ... every Sunday of the year!"
Doesn't that sound like the words of a man whose opinion is worthy of respect?
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Proper perspective
This evening I found a torn sheet of paper in my Bible. It is not uncommon for me during the course of Bible study to turn to the back pages of my notebook to make separate notes to tear off for more immediate access (like my shirt pocket). I turned this piece of paper over to read: "I was created not for salvation, but to glorify God. He does not exist for me. I exist for Him."
I'm relatively sure that was a gem delivered by my pastor during one of his Wednesday night Bible studies. I give thanks today for our pastor, who loves Jesus and is committed to his call to teach the Word, taking our fellowship through the Bible verse by verse. I give thanks for the reminder that I need on a regular basis: It is not about me, but about the awesome grace of a sovereign Creator whose perfect plan makes provision for life eternal with His children. I have the privilege of relationship, in order that He might be glorified.
John 8:24
"Jesus replied, 'If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, who you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me'."
Psalm 86:12
"I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever."
I'm relatively sure that was a gem delivered by my pastor during one of his Wednesday night Bible studies. I give thanks today for our pastor, who loves Jesus and is committed to his call to teach the Word, taking our fellowship through the Bible verse by verse. I give thanks for the reminder that I need on a regular basis: It is not about me, but about the awesome grace of a sovereign Creator whose perfect plan makes provision for life eternal with His children. I have the privilege of relationship, in order that He might be glorified.
John 8:24
"Jesus replied, 'If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, who you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me'."
Psalm 86:12
"I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever."
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Epicenter Conference 2010
We watched the opening evening of this two-day event online Friday. Go online today and watch a full lineup of expert speakers talking about Israel and biblical prophecy. This conference is attended and viewed primarily by Christians, but non-Christians will find it fascinating as well. One of the main speakers at the conference is author Joel C. Rosenberg, pictured here. Keynote speaker is Israeli Vice Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon. The text that appears above is from Genesis 12:3, regarding Abraham and the people of Israel, His Chosen People.http://www.epicenterconference.com/
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
An encouraging word
Several times over the course of the last week God has impressed upon me (again) the importance of speaking and writing words of encouragement. This morning I was blessed by words of encouragement from a brother whose name was not listed in my daily planner. We were blessed with what is often called "a divine appointment."
I was also prompted today to open the pages of the Rev. Billy Graham's "The Faithful Christian." This anthology is full of encouraging entries, but the one that popped out was titled: "Walking and Talking with God."
Graham wrote: "In the beginning, God and man were friends. They walked together and talked together. They made great plans as to how this planet was to be populated and developed. The planet earth was to show God's glory to the entire universe. It was to be the center of God's activities in His partnership with man. It is quite evident that God desired the fellowship of a creature like man. Thus man was created to a high and exalted purpose, a high and exalted destiny."
God created us in His own image; He gave us the gift of choice. Adam and Eve "fell," and as a result we are conceived in sin, born into a fallen world. But God, in His perfect plan, provided His Son, the Sacrificial Lamb, whose choice to bear our sin makes in possible for us to be washed clean so we might live eternally with our pure and holy Father.
Despite the fact that this world is impure, populated by sinful creatures, we can lay claim to God's grace, offered to all through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. I recall the words of the familiar hymn of my childhood (see May 31 blog entry re: "In the Garden"): "He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own..."
I recall the words of Jesus as recorded by John in the book of Revelation, the only book of the Bible that opens with a promise to bless those who read it ... "and heed the things which are written in it..." Jesus says: "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades." He says as recorded in Revelation 22:7: "...I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book." And in verse 12: "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done."
When we surrender ourselves and proclaim Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we can forget what we deserve, and instead claim the promise of life eternal with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This gift is ours not because we "earn" or "qualify" for it, but simply because God, our Creator, loves us. "For it is by grace we are saved, through faith, and this not from ourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works..." These, indeed, are words of encouragement.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
Hebrews 10:24-25
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
A couple of days have passed since this entry, but today I received a copy of "Prayer Point," a publication of Samaritan's Purse. One of the articles was about Sourn Povmouy of Cambodia. The article read in part:
"In 2006 I had a blood test and the doctor found out I was HIV positive (Sourn being quoted). I was shocked and a sad feeling of hopelessness came over me."
Enter Pastor Lim Sovongs, a pastor from Sourn's province. He began to make home visits to Sourn, "...teaching her about the disease and providing physical and spiritual care. She learned that Jesus still loves her and hasn't abandoned her."
Pastor Lim attended HIV/AIDS training conducted by Samaritan's Purse. Sourn and some of her neighbors were provided medical care and education about the disease.
Today, says Lourn, "My heart is warmed because of the pastor's visits and especially because of his words of encouragement. Somebody cares and is concerned about me and my family. I thank the Lord Jesus and pray that He may continue to bless and care for my family."
Christ, living in and through us, offers His unconditional love. Say "yes" to His calls on your life to speak/act in His name. Speak words of encouragement. Act in encouraging ways. Love your neighbor as yourself.
I was also prompted today to open the pages of the Rev. Billy Graham's "The Faithful Christian." This anthology is full of encouraging entries, but the one that popped out was titled: "Walking and Talking with God."
Graham wrote: "In the beginning, God and man were friends. They walked together and talked together. They made great plans as to how this planet was to be populated and developed. The planet earth was to show God's glory to the entire universe. It was to be the center of God's activities in His partnership with man. It is quite evident that God desired the fellowship of a creature like man. Thus man was created to a high and exalted purpose, a high and exalted destiny."
God created us in His own image; He gave us the gift of choice. Adam and Eve "fell," and as a result we are conceived in sin, born into a fallen world. But God, in His perfect plan, provided His Son, the Sacrificial Lamb, whose choice to bear our sin makes in possible for us to be washed clean so we might live eternally with our pure and holy Father.
Despite the fact that this world is impure, populated by sinful creatures, we can lay claim to God's grace, offered to all through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. I recall the words of the familiar hymn of my childhood (see May 31 blog entry re: "In the Garden"): "He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own..."
I recall the words of Jesus as recorded by John in the book of Revelation, the only book of the Bible that opens with a promise to bless those who read it ... "and heed the things which are written in it..." Jesus says: "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades." He says as recorded in Revelation 22:7: "...I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book." And in verse 12: "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done."
When we surrender ourselves and proclaim Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we can forget what we deserve, and instead claim the promise of life eternal with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This gift is ours not because we "earn" or "qualify" for it, but simply because God, our Creator, loves us. "For it is by grace we are saved, through faith, and this not from ourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works..." These, indeed, are words of encouragement.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
Hebrews 10:24-25
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
A couple of days have passed since this entry, but today I received a copy of "Prayer Point," a publication of Samaritan's Purse. One of the articles was about Sourn Povmouy of Cambodia. The article read in part:
"In 2006 I had a blood test and the doctor found out I was HIV positive (Sourn being quoted). I was shocked and a sad feeling of hopelessness came over me."
Enter Pastor Lim Sovongs, a pastor from Sourn's province. He began to make home visits to Sourn, "...teaching her about the disease and providing physical and spiritual care. She learned that Jesus still loves her and hasn't abandoned her."
Pastor Lim attended HIV/AIDS training conducted by Samaritan's Purse. Sourn and some of her neighbors were provided medical care and education about the disease.
Today, says Lourn, "My heart is warmed because of the pastor's visits and especially because of his words of encouragement. Somebody cares and is concerned about me and my family. I thank the Lord Jesus and pray that He may continue to bless and care for my family."
Christ, living in and through us, offers His unconditional love. Say "yes" to His calls on your life to speak/act in His name. Speak words of encouragement. Act in encouraging ways. Love your neighbor as yourself.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Unshakeable faith
The following is from a daily message provided online by gifted pastor/evangelist Greg Laurie. Click on heading above (Unshakeable faith) to visit his website. I commend his devotional to you.
"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy." James 1:2
God is in control of all circumstances that surround the believer. The devil can do nothing in the life of the believer without the express permission of God. But why would God give that permission? Because Satan's attacks will show what you are made of.
A faith that cannot be shaken is a faith that has been shaken. And if your faith is real, it will even endure through the worst of circumstances, because character is not made in crisis; it is revealed. For example, when tragedy struck Job, we find him worshiping God, but we find his wife saying, "Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die." Job 2:9 Trials, temptations, and crises separate the wheat from the chaff, the true from the false, and the real from the unreal.
Suffering helps us grow spiritually and makes us stronger in our faith. James reminds us, "For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." James 1:3–4
Suffering takes our faith from the realm of theory to reality, and suffering brings glory to God. Anyone can be happy when the sky is blue and the sun is shining. But when a storm is hitting, it is a different matter. Satan claimed that Job only worshiped God because God was blessing him. But Job proved that he really did love God, because he worshipped Him before, during, and after the crisis.
God allowed the tragedy in Job's life to strengthen his faith and to prove Satan wrong—and Job passed the test with flying colors. What a rebuke to the enemy. And what a powerful example for us today.
"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy." James 1:2
God is in control of all circumstances that surround the believer. The devil can do nothing in the life of the believer without the express permission of God. But why would God give that permission? Because Satan's attacks will show what you are made of.
A faith that cannot be shaken is a faith that has been shaken. And if your faith is real, it will even endure through the worst of circumstances, because character is not made in crisis; it is revealed. For example, when tragedy struck Job, we find him worshiping God, but we find his wife saying, "Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die." Job 2:9 Trials, temptations, and crises separate the wheat from the chaff, the true from the false, and the real from the unreal.
Suffering helps us grow spiritually and makes us stronger in our faith. James reminds us, "For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." James 1:3–4
Suffering takes our faith from the realm of theory to reality, and suffering brings glory to God. Anyone can be happy when the sky is blue and the sun is shining. But when a storm is hitting, it is a different matter. Satan claimed that Job only worshiped God because God was blessing him. But Job proved that he really did love God, because he worshipped Him before, during, and after the crisis.
God allowed the tragedy in Job's life to strengthen his faith and to prove Satan wrong—and Job passed the test with flying colors. What a rebuke to the enemy. And what a powerful example for us today.
Friday, June 4, 2010
A Christian land governed by Christian principles
Deceipt is one of Satan's favorite weapons as he seeks to destroy and kill.
Critics of a successful move to restore some of America's traditional historical references to Texas public school textbooks recently launched an attack against an education board member who dared to mention Jesus and the Christian faith in a meeting invocation.
It was only after their initial attacks that critics discovered much of the text from her prayer was penned by the late Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren, whose tenure on the court was marked by the removal of prayer from public schools and other similar moves. That text read:
"I believe no one can read the history of our country without realizing that the Good Book and the spirit of the Savior have from the beginning been our guiding geniuses. Whether we look to the first Charter of Virginia or the Charter of New England or the Charter of Massachusetts Bay or the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, the same objective is present – a Christian land governed by Christian principles. I believe the entire Bill of Rights came into being because of the knowledge our forefathers had of the Bible and their belief in it: freedom of belief, of expression, of assembly, of petition, the dignity of the individual, the sanctity of the home, equal justice under law, and the reservation of powers to the people…I like to believe we are living today in the spirit of the Christian religion. I like also to believe that as long as we do so, no great harm can come to our country."
The invocation came near the end of arguments over textbook standards that will be used in Texas for the next 10 years. Board members approved 9-5 a series of changes that emphasize the teaching of American history and rejected attempts by historical revisionists to change significant parts of the nation's story.
After Dunbar's invocation, the Texas Freedom Network, which promoted the progressive changes, wrote a scathing article. "She offered the board's opening prayer this morning and removed any doubt about what she and other far-right board members want students to learn: America's laws and government should be based on the Christian Bible," said a statement from the organization.
But Liberty Counsel pointed out that the words were those of Warren, characterized by many as a liberal activist. He served on the high court from 1953-1969. His quotes were recorded in a Time magazine article. See Dunbar's invocation on video below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdhGK9aYjDY&feature=player_embedded
Critics of a successful move to restore some of America's traditional historical references to Texas public school textbooks recently launched an attack against an education board member who dared to mention Jesus and the Christian faith in a meeting invocation.
It was only after their initial attacks that critics discovered much of the text from her prayer was penned by the late Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren, whose tenure on the court was marked by the removal of prayer from public schools and other similar moves. That text read:
"I believe no one can read the history of our country without realizing that the Good Book and the spirit of the Savior have from the beginning been our guiding geniuses. Whether we look to the first Charter of Virginia or the Charter of New England or the Charter of Massachusetts Bay or the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, the same objective is present – a Christian land governed by Christian principles. I believe the entire Bill of Rights came into being because of the knowledge our forefathers had of the Bible and their belief in it: freedom of belief, of expression, of assembly, of petition, the dignity of the individual, the sanctity of the home, equal justice under law, and the reservation of powers to the people…I like to believe we are living today in the spirit of the Christian religion. I like also to believe that as long as we do so, no great harm can come to our country."
The invocation came near the end of arguments over textbook standards that will be used in Texas for the next 10 years. Board members approved 9-5 a series of changes that emphasize the teaching of American history and rejected attempts by historical revisionists to change significant parts of the nation's story.
After Dunbar's invocation, the Texas Freedom Network, which promoted the progressive changes, wrote a scathing article. "She offered the board's opening prayer this morning and removed any doubt about what she and other far-right board members want students to learn: America's laws and government should be based on the Christian Bible," said a statement from the organization.
But Liberty Counsel pointed out that the words were those of Warren, characterized by many as a liberal activist. He served on the high court from 1953-1969. His quotes were recorded in a Time magazine article. See Dunbar's invocation on video below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdhGK9aYjDY&feature=player_embedded
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
