HIS WORD
Summary Presentation
of Humanity's Most Incisive
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Short Takes On Living
"Fear knocked at the door-faith answered-and there was no one there." Unknown The man (person) who has lost contact with God lives on the same dead-end street as the human (person) who denies Him". Milton Marcy "What is a crime for a person to do, is a crime for a person to think." Aristotle "The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world." W. R. Wallace "The humblest individual exerts some influence, either for good or evil, upon others." ~ Henry Ward Beecher "Vote: The instrument and symbol of a free man's power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country." --American author Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) "My art of midwifery is in general like theirs; the only difference is that my patients are men, not women, and my concern is not with the body but with the soul that is in travail of birth." – Socrates "Do not blame Caesar, blame the people of Rome who have so enthusiastically acclaimed and adored him and rejoiced in their loss of freedom and danced in his path and gave him triumphal processions. ... Blame the people who hail him when he speaks in the Forum of the 'new, wonderful good society' which shall now be Rome's, interpreted to mean 'more money, more ease, more security, more living fatly at the expense of the industrious.'" --Roman statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 B.C.) "The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and benefits." --Greek historian Plutarch (c. 46-120 A.D.) "Truth does not become more true by virtue of the fact that the entire world agrees with it, nor less so even if the whole world disagrees with it." --Maimonides (1135-1204) "Madness is to hold an erroneous perception and argue perfectly from it." "Men use thought only to justify their wrongdoings, and speech only to conceal their thoughts." --French writer Voltaire (1694-1778) "I have lived, Sir, a long time; and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this Truth, that God governs in the Affairs of Men." --Benjamin Franklin "Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God?" Thomas Jefferson "The foundation of national morality must be laid in private families. ... Public virtue cannot exist in a nation without private, and public virtue is the only foundation of republics." --John Adams "[T]he people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government and to reform, alter, or totally change the same when their protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it." --Samuel Adams "No government, any more than an individual, will long be respected without being truly respectable." --Federalist No. 62 "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." --American author Mark Twain (1835-1910) "If you ever injected truth into politics, you would have no politics." American humorist Will Rogers (1879-1935) "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." "He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would fully suffice." --physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955) "You and I are told we must choose between a left or right, but I suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down. Up to man's age-old dream -- the maximum of individual freedom consistent with order -- or down to the ash heap of totalitarianism." Ronald Reagan "The main satisfactions of life come through hard work which one enjoys." George Eliot “And you shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year’s end.” ~ Exodus 34:22
The Feast of Weeks—the Shavuot in Hebrew and Pentecost in the Greek—begins seven weeks after the Passover and lasts for two days. This festival has a double purpose, agriculturally and historically, for the Jews. First, it marks the end of the barley harvest and beginning of the wheat harvest. While the first fruits of the barley were offered to the Lord at the Passover, the first fruits of the wheat harvest are offered to the Lord on this day. These first fruits are offered to God to show their dependence on Him for their crops. Second, the Feast of Weeks is a celebration of God giving the Torah to the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai. Remember, the Torah is the Law given to Moses by God. The Torah is comprised of the first five books of the Old Testament. While the Passover celebrates God’s deliverance from bondage in Egypt, the Feast of Weeks celebrates God’s deliverance from their bondage to idolatry. Every festival or celebration for the Jewish people leads the people to remember what God has done for them and to honor Him. Do we recognize what God does in our lives? Do we honor Him? Let your life reflect your dependence and love for God. Thanksgiving is good but thanks-living is better. Taken from: Daily Devotional by Raul Ries You are in your car driving home. Thoughts wander to the game you want to see or meal you want to eat, when suddenly a sound unlike any you've ever heard fills the air. The sound is high above you. A trumpet? A choir? A choir of trumpets? You don't know, but you want to know.. So you pull over, get out of your car, and look up. As you do, you see you aren't the only curious one. The roadside has become a parking lot. Car doors are open, and people are staring at the sky. Shoppers are racing out of the grocery store. The Little League baseball game across the street has come to a halt. Players and parents are searching the clouds. And what they see, and what you see, has never before been seen.
As if the sky were a curtain, the drapes of the atmosphere part. A brilliant light spills onto the earth. There are no shadows. None. From every hue ever seen an d a million more never seen. Riding on the flow is an endless fleet of angels. They pass through the curtains one myriad at a time, until they occupy every square inch of the sky. Thousands of silvery wings rise and fall in unison, and over the sound of the trumpets, you can hear the cherubim and seraphim chanting, Holy, holy, holy.. The final flank of angels is followed by twenty-four silver-bearded elders and a multitude of souls who join the angels in worship. Suddenly, the heavens are quiet. All is quiet. The angels turn, you turn, the entire world turns and there He is... Jesus. Through waves of light you see the silhouetted figure of Christ the King. He is atop a great stallion, and the stallion is atop a billowing cloud. He opens his mouth, and you are surrounded by his declaration: The angels bow their heads.. The elders remove their crowns.. And before you is a Figure so consuming that you know, instantly you know: Nothing else matters.. For get stock markets and school reports. Sales meetings and football games. Nothing is newsworthy.. All that mattered, matters no more.. For Christ has come. Please let me know the exact time you read this. It is mystical--honest. This morning when the Lord opened a window to Heaven, he saw me, and he asked: My child, what is your greatest wish for today? I responded: 'Lord please; take care of my family, my friends, the person who is reading this message, their family and their special friends. They deserve it and I love them very much'. The love of God is like the ocean, you can see its beginnings but not its end. 
If you could be 16 again Three weeks after my 22nd birthday, Janet and I were married. In three weeks we'll celebrate 30 years of marriage (at least I will; condolences are probably in order for her). When Guerdwich Montimere turned 22, he posed as a 16-year old so he could play high school basketball again. Today's NPR website reports that Mr. Montimere enrolled at Permian High School in Odessa, Texas under the name "Jerry Joseph," telling authorities that he was a homeless Haitian youth. He quickly became a standout on the team, which makes sense, as he is older than some NBA players. He was a Florida high school basketball star in his previous life; some coaches from his time in the state recognized him at a recent tournament in Arkansas and confronted him last Tuesday. At first he denied that he was who they said he was, before finally admitting his deception. Charged with presenting false identification to a peace officer, he was taken to the Ector County Detention Center. He has now been released on bail. If you could be 16 again, what would you do differently? I think immediately of ways I failed God over the years, times I got ahead of him (he didn't follow) and behind him and outside his will. The good news is that he forgives all I confess to him in a spirit of genuine repentance. He separates my sins as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), hurling them into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19) and remembering them no more (Isaiah 43:25). The even better news is that he stands ready to use my life, flaws and all, for his eternal purposes. I may never see the larger significance of present faithfulness, but he does. For instance, Oswald Chambers died in relative obscurity in Egypt at the age of 43 without ever seeing any of his words in print. His wife transcribed his talks in shorthand and used them to create My Utmost For His Highest, a devotional classic which has been reprinted over 60 times. Peter Marshall, the brilliant Scottish preacher and chaplain of the United States Senate, died at 47. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of the greatest theologians of the 20th century, was executed by his Nazi captors at the age of 39. Jim Elliott was 29 when he and four fellow missionaries were murdered by Auca Indians in the jungles of Ecuador in 1957. None of them ever saw the full legacy of their faithfulness to God, but their examples still move and lead us today. They planted trees they'll never sit under and extended the Kingdom of God on earth. C. T. Studd was a missionary to China, India and Africa. He lived the words he wrote: "Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last." Yesterday is gone; tomorrow doesn't exist. What will you do for Christ today?
Duct-taping a beast In Gulfport, Mississippi, trappers have captured an 800-pound alligator. You can watch them catch the 12 foot, nine-inch creature on CNN. They used a forklift to take the beast out of the water, but first they duct-taped its jaws shut. Why? The commentator explains: "While gators exert enormous pressure clamping down, it takes very little pressure to keep those giant jaws shut." If only that were true for the rest of us. Today's Newsweek website tells us that Gordon Brown might still be Britain's Prime Minister if it weren't for the fact that he is "thin-skinned, tantrum-prone, and woefully short on the charisma that endeared the public to Tony Blair." His description of a voter as a "bigoted woman," caught on a live microphone during the last days of campaigning, was probably his final undoing. When was the last time you said something you wish you hadn't? Or didn't say something you wish you had? James didn't mince words: "the tongue...is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. . . . No man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison" (James 3:6-7). Even harder to tame than the tongue is the attitude which is often unspoken but nonetheless dangerous. Yesterday a very dear friend reminded me of T. S. Eliot's maxim, "The last temptation is the greatest treason: to do the right thing for the wrong reason." On those all-too-uncommon occasions when I say what I should, my words don't count if they don't express my heart. Aristotle was right: "What is a crime for a person to do, is a crime for a person to think." Here's the good news: the Holy Spirit stands ready to shape our thoughts, words, and actions according to our Father's will for his children. What is that will? "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son" (Romans 8:29). The Spirit has the power to make me more like the Son to the glory of the Father. But I must cooperate. Oswald Chambers reminded me yesterday that "we are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do" (My Utmost For His Highest, May 10 reading). The Holy Spirit will make my thoughts and words and actions as godly as I want them to be and no more. He wants me to "be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48), but I must agree. The God of the universe can tape my jaws shut, but only with my permission. So I choose to begin this Tuesday by submitting my mind, words, and actions to my King. Will you join me?
Trapped in a cave of guilt A friend recently sent me some children's questions for God: "Dear God: Instead of letting people die and making new ones, why don't you just keep the ones you have? Johnny." "Dear God: I read the Bible. What does 'beget' mean? Nobody will tell me. Allison." "Dear God: Did you mean for the giraffe to look like that or was it an accident? Norma." "Dear God: Did you really mean, 'do unto others as they do unto you'? Because if you did, then I'm going to fix my brother. Love, Darla." We have many questions for God. But none is more pressing than ours today: why isn't God more fair? Why doesn't he punish Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda? Why is the self-described "mastermind" of 9-11 still awaiting trial? Why do you and people you love face innocent suffering? Why is our world so fallen? Yesterday we began a conversation about justice and grace. We noted that if justice reigned absolutely, there would be no place for grace and mercy. God could not forgive our sins, or help us with our mistakes, or redeem our fallen lives. The world's religions proclaim fairness: you must earn heaven (if you are Muslim or Jewish), or nirvana (the Buddhist hope for enlightenment), or moksha (the Hindu concept of salvation). Obedience to the Five Pillars of Islam, or the Torah, or the teaching of Buddha or the sacred writings of Hinduism is the only path forward. By contrast, when Jesus died, his Father tore in two the curtain separating humanity from the Holy of Holies (Matthew 27:51). From top to bottom-from God to us; not from bottom to top. Religion climbs up to God-Christianity climbs down to us. Years ago I heard a parable which illustrates the relationship between justice and grace as well as any I know. As the story goes, a group was touring one of the underground cavern systems in New Mexico when a sudden cave-in trapped them in darkness. Panic set in, but before long some of the stronger personalities in the group took charge. They organized one group to work on the rocks, trying to pull them away and create a path to freedom. Others were charged with digging at the sides of the cavern, looking for an escape route. Still others went to work banging on the roof and sides, hoping to attract attention to their plight. As they were all hard at work, one young girl noticed a pinprick of light far in the back of the cave. She made her way to it, and discovered that it led to a shaft which was large enough to enable everyone in the group to escape. But when she ran back to tell the others, none would believe her. They insisted on continuing their own efforts to win their freedom, so she was saved while the others eventually perished. Her belief in the escape shaft she discovered did not earn her salvation-it positioned her to receive what had been provided to all. Our culture says that you are what you do. In the eyes of your society, mistakes and failures are permanent marks on your record, guilt which will likely plague you for the rest of your life. God's word says that our Father forgives every sin we confess to him (1 John 1:9). Why is this promise good news for your soul today?
Youth is wasted on the young Evander Holyfield knocked out Frans Botha over the weekend to regain one of boxing's world heavyweight titles, according to today's New York Times. Why do I care? Because Mr. Holyfield is 47 years old (Mr. Botha is a child-like 41). If the elderly Mr. Holyfield can still fight professionally, I can make my slightly arthritic fingers type today's essay. And stay up late to watch television, apparently. Today's Times tells us that Jay Leno, after returning to his late-night slot, is leading the ratings again. His audiences have increased more than 50 percent from Conan O'Brien's, but the median age for "Tonight Show" viewers has jumped more than 10 years, to 56 years of age. We old people are taking over the world. I'm 51 and getting older every day. Last week I was talking with some younger friends about a skit I remembered from Johnny Carson's show when I realized they had no idea who Johnny Carson was. Phil Mickelson's dramatic Masters victory yesterday was hailed as a triumph for the grizzled veteran; I remember his rookie year like it was last year. And Evander Holyfield's first heavyweight title in 1990. And the days when my knees didn't hurt. "Wisdom is the daughter of experience," claimed Leonardo da Vinci. George Bernard Shaw lamented that youth is wasted on the young. But Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived (1 Kings 3:12), knew the true secret of wisdom: ""The Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:6). How do we attain such wisdom today? "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Proverbs 9:10). When we reverence God, submitting to him as our King and exalting him as our Lord in everything we do, we will walk in his word and know his wisdom for our day. When we do, "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7). Where do you need God's wisdom and peace today? Name that problem or burden. Submit it to your Father, asking him to guide you and empower you. Trust his grace, and step into your day expecting his help. And his peace will be yours. A priest met a beggar. "God give you a good day, my friend," he said. The beggar answered, "I thank God I have never had a bad one." The priest said, "God give you a happy life, my friend." "I thank God," said the beggar, "I am never unhappy." The amazed priest asked, "What do you mean?" "Well," said the beggar, "When it is good weather, I thank God; when it rains, I thank God; when I have food, I thank God; when I am hungry, I thank God. Since God's will is my will, and whatever pleases him pleases me, I am happy always." The priest looked at the beggar in astonishment. "Who are you?" he asked. "I am a king," said the beggar. "Where is your kingdom?" The beggar answered quietly, "In my heart." Where is your kingdom this morning?
Ununseptium A team of Russian and American scientists has discovered a new element, according to today's New York Times. Their discovery is apparently important as a step towards producing elements whose chemical properties may prove beneficial. For now they call their discovery "ununseptium," which refers to the number 117, the element's atomic number. What's an "atomic number"? Glad you asked: "Elements are assigned an atomic number according to the number of protons--comparatively heavy particles with a positive electric charge--in their nuclei...Various numbers of charge-free neutrons add to the nuclear mass of atoms but do not affect the atomic number," according to the Times. I'm not sure what any of that means, but I feel smarter just for typing the words. Yesterday we compared our omniscience to God's. Let's continue in that vein this morning. Think for a moment about the organ with which you think. Your brain contains about 10 billion nerve cells, called "neurons." Each neuron is connected to surrounding cells by a network of fibers called axions and dendrites, and has as many as ten thousand fibers leading from it into other cells. As a result, the number of possible interconnections between the cells of your brain is many times larger than the number of atoms in the entire universe. Your brain can consider 10,000 separate factors at one time, even this early on a Wednesday morning. In fact, a normal human brain has enough capacity to know everything that is known in the entire world, if there were enough time to learn it all. In a book titled The Computer Age, a scientist tried to determine the monetary value of one brain. He noted that our brains contain 10 million urion cells. He calculated that if we could buy one of these cells at five cents apiece, and the connections at one cent each, it would cost one quintillion dollars to build a human brain computer. That is a billion, billion dollars, more money than all the governments of the world now possess. That's how much your brain is worth. Consider the ears with which you will hear the next person who speaks to you today. The average piano has 88 keys; each of your ears has a "keyboard" so advanced that it is capable of catching 73,700 vibrations a second. Your heart is no larger than your fist, but it will beat 40 million times this year. 60,000 miles of arteries run through your body. More than 9,000 taste buds are resident on your tongue. More than 220 bones make up your frame; some 600 muscles cover those bones. Jesus asked, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows (Matthew 10:29-31). The God who designed and manufactured every urion cell in your brain and bone in your body did so intentionally. You're not here by accident--your Maker wanted you to exist. You're alive this morning for a reason which God understands better than you do. Have you submitted your day yet to him as your King?
My Civic can outrun your Ferrari You can fight City Hall. My Chihuahua can take your pit bull; I can sing and my knees don't hurt when I run. And Butler can beat Duke in tonight's NCAA men's basketball final. Quick: where is Butler University located? Today's Wall Street Journal tells us that 97% of Americans couldn't tell you before this weekend. Tiger Woods returns to golf at the Masters with a press conference at noon and Major League Baseball kicks off its season later today, but the eyes of the sporting world are on the unlikeliest basketball contest in years. Butler University's website says they have 4,438 students and 306 faculty members on a 290-acre campus. Duke's website says they have 13,662 students and 3,031 total faculty on a campus of 8,610 acres. Former Butler players have made 166 appearances in NBA games. Former Duke players have appeared in 14,463 NBA games, according to today's Journal. Duke has three national titles, 14 Final Four appearances and has played in nine national title games. Butler has done none of the above. It's not that Duke deserves to be the villain in tonight's drama. Their coach is one of the all-time greats; 97% of their student-athletes graduate (89% of their men's basketball teams). But you have to pull for the Little Team That Could. If Butler wins tonight, I'm taking singing lessons tomorrow (just kidding, Janet). It's somehow appropriate that this man-against-the-machine story is being played out the day after Easter. Yesterday two billion people around the world celebrated the resurrection of Jesus, but things didn't start that way. Frightened apostles trembled behind locked doors (John 20:19) while confused disciples didn't even recognize the risen Christ (Luke 24:16). Who dreamed that this fledgling movement would one day supplant the mighty Roman Empire as the most powerful global force the world had ever seen? Tonight's game, even if Butler pulls off the upset, will eventually be forgotten. Baseball will play 161 more games after today, not including the interminable playoffs. But Easter is an everyday reality. Peter spoke of the resurrection of Jesus as our "living hope" (1 Peter 1:3); Paul called us to respond to the mercy of the risen Christ by giving our lives to God as "living sacrifices" (Romans 12:1). Jesus is just as much Lord today as he was yesterday, as deserving of our worship next Sunday as last. Thomas missed Easter, but Easter didn't miss Thomas. The next Sunday, the risen Christ stood before his doubting disciple and Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28). This morning, Jesus has done the same for you. Will you say the same to him? God Issues By Dr. James C. Denison President, The Center for Informed Faith, Dallas, Texas March 19, 2010 Topic: Climbing down to God How to buy a Porsche In the market for a Porsche and looking for a way to convince your wife? Today's Dallas Morning News reports that the German sports car has been named the most dependable vehicle in the world by J. D. Power and Associates. Let the rest of us know how that fact helps your strategy. It's easier to get forgiveness than permission, as the saying goes. Let's explore that truism today. During these last weeks of Lent we're learning to climb down to God by living a life he can bless. Jesus has called us to be "poor in spirit," admitting our need of God; to "mourn" for our sins that we might be comforted; to be "meek,' surrendered to God, so we might "inherit the earth"; and to "hunger and thirst for righteousness," that we might be "filled." Today we explore his fifth step: "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy" (Matthew 5:7) What is "mercy"? Here's the short answer: grace is getting what you don't deserve-mercy is not getting what you do deserve. It's mercy to be forgiven. It's mercy to forgive. So, what is forgiveness? Lewis Smedes, in his classic Forgive and Forget, tells us that forgiving is not forgetting. When God forgives our sins he "remembers them no more" (Isaiah 43:25), but humans do not usually have this ability. Forgiving is not excusing behavior, pretending we're not hurt, or tolerating hurtful behavior. To forgive is to pardon. It is to refuse to punish, even though you have every right to do so. It is the governor pardoning a criminal--he doesn't forget about the crime, or excuse it, or pretend it didn't occur, or tolerate the behavior. He simply chooses not to punish, though he could. So who needs your pardon this morning? Why give it? Why be "merciful"? First, to stop your personal cycle of pain. If you refuse to pardon the person who hurt you, he hurts you still. Every time you plot your revenge you feel again your pain. Every time you nurse your pain you increase it. But you can stop today. Second, extend mercy to receive mercy. Jesus promises the merciful that "they will be shown mercy." When you offer mercy, you put yourself in position to receive mercy from God and others. If I won't show mercy to you, I won't receive it myself. Third, extend mercy to break the circle of revenge. Calvin Miller was right: an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is a rapid way to a sightless, toothless world. But when you pardon me, the cycle stops. There's nothing left for me to do but to receive or reject your pardon. I have no cause to hurt you, and abundant reason to love you and learn to love myself as well. Finally, show mercy to demonstrate the love of Christ. Jesus identified one characteristic as a guarantee that others will know we love him: "By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you have love one for another" (John 13:35). Forgiving, pardoning love proves that God's love in us is real. In Cairo our tour group visited Manshiyat naser, also called Garbage City, a slum whose residents recycle the city's garbage. The area often lacks running water, sewage, and electricity. Its people are among the poorest on earth. And yet their community is home to the largest Christian church in the Middle East. The Cave Cathedral, also known as the Church of the Virgin Mary and St. Simeon, houses two worship centers. One amphitheater seats over 20,000; the second was secretly built inside a cave. Both are packed with worshipers each Sunday. The members of the church have experienced the mercy of God, so they share it with their community and the world. And Garbage City, in a nation which is 90% Muslim, is 99% Christian as a result. During the depths of the Cold War, people in a particular East German town began throwing their trash over the Berlin Wall into the West German town on the other side. The West Germans responded by tossing food and clothes to the East Germans. With this note: "Each gives what he has." Who needs the gift of your mercy today? God Issues By Dr. James C. Denison President, The Center for Informed Faith, Dallas, Texas March 16, 2010 Topic: Climbing down to God
Warren Buffett gave his son "enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing." Peter Buffett explains in his new book, profiled in this morning's Wall Street Journal. His father sold a farm and gave the proceeds to him in shares which he proceeded to sell. Collecting $90,000, he left Stanford University and began working in music. He is now an Emmy Award-winning musician, composer, and producer. His title explains his philosophy: Life Is What You Make It. Yes, and no. As we conclude our Lenten series, we're learning to climb down to God by living a life he can bless. The first step is to be "poor in spirit," admitting our desperate need for God's power and guidance in our lives. Self-sufficiency is spiritual suicide. We are creatures, each in need of our Creator's help. Today we consider our second step into an intimate, transforming relationship with him: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" (Matthew 5:4). In our fallen world, mourning is the common denominator of human experience. Albert Einstein: "Our situation on this earth seems strange. Every one of us appears here involuntarily and uninvited for a short stay, without knowing the whys and the wherefore." Philosopher George Santayana added: "What is life, but a form of motion and a journey through a strange world?" Schopenhauer once remarked, "The shortness of life, so often lamented, may be the best thing about it." There's your devotional thought for the day. But not all types of mourning are "comforted" by God. Some lose a loved one and never recover. Some fail financially and never make back what they lost. Some suffer physical disease which is never healed. What kind of mourning does God promise always to comfort? 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." Here is the "good news," the "gospel": Jesus died to pay for every sin you have ever committed, to purchase your forgiveness, to offer you God's pardon. He died in your place, taking your punishment. If you truly grieve for your sins, and want God to forgive you and restore you, he will. You "will be comforted." Confession, repentance, and grace are the only pathway to such peace. In Egypt we visited the Great Pyramid of Giza, built by Cheops around 2500 B.C. it remains the largest building by volume on the face of the earth. It could contain more than 30 Empire State Buildings within its walls. Equivalent to a modern 50-story building, it is situated more perfectly north-south and east-west than any other structure in history. There are 203 steps to its summit; the four triangular sides slope at an angle of about 52 degrees. Less than 1/50 of an inch separates the individual blocks, each made of limestone and averaging 2.5 tons (some weigh as much as 70 tons). The pyramid encases numerous galleries and chambers, with intricate passages and airshafts. Alexander the Great and Napoleon spent time in its King's Chamber. The purpose of such an engineering marvel? To help the pharaoh make his way to heaven. He sought to climb up to the gods, never knowing that God would climb down to him. Don't make his mistake. In dealing with your sins and failures, don't try harder to do better. Admit your sins to God, in a spirit of mournful repentance, and ask him to forgive you and restore you. When you do, Jesus promises that you will be "blessed." Where do you need his comfort this morning?
God Issues By Dr. James C. Denison President, The Center for Informed Faith, Dallas, Texas March 10, 2010 Topic: Spiritual solitude How I found my soul (part three) When I was a pastor in Atlanta, I found my "soul." This week I'm telling the story, in case it is your story as well. So far this week we've read from Mike Yaconelli, a well-known Christian author, his experience with soul-lessness. We've learned from Luke 24 that losing touch with Jesus happened even in the days of his earthly ministry. Here's what happened to me. In 1997 I was a pastor in Atlanta; our ministry staff was on a two-day silent retreat at a Catholic retreat center. We were told to bring nothing but a Bible and notebook. However, this was the Monday and Tuesday before Easter Sunday. Easter is the Super Bowl for preachers. I couldn't imagine giving up two days of preparation, so I smuggled in my laptop and some commentaries. I read Yaconelli's essay as instructed, then set it aside and got to work on my Easter sermon. After working into late afternoon, I decided to take a break. The retreat staff had told us about nature trails on the property, so I set out on a hike. I found the trail leading to wooden decks built out over the Chattahoochee River, and sat for a while enjoying the beauty of this remarkable setting. Then I found the trail which wanders alongside the creek flowing into the river. The "stations of the cross" are positioned along the trail; I stopped at several for a moment of prayer. Then I came to the waterfall which forms the creek. Beside it are two wooden gazebos, surrounded by dogwoods and azaleas. It is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. On that Monday I sat in one of the gazebos, watching and listening to the waterfall as it cascaded down the rocks into the creek. And God spoke to me. I never use those words except in relating this event. I don't mind when others say that God "spoke" to them, but I'm far too rational in my makeup to trust my intuitive experiences so fully. When I think I've heard from God, I need to test my feelings rationally by Scripture and pragmatically by experience. It is hard for me to say simply that God "spoke" to me. Except on that day. On that Monday afternoon the Holy Spirit spoke to me in a way which was more clear than if it had been audible. He reminded me of Yaconelli's essay and showed me that his experience had become mine, that I had lost touch with my "soul." There was nothing wrong to speak of in my life. Our family was doing well; our church was healthy and growing; there were no horrible sins in my life. I was reading the Bible and praying each morning, and going through the routines of my pastoral ministry. But on that Monday afternoon, the Spirit caused me to realize that I no longer had an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus. I couldn't remember the last time I prayed just to talk with God--not to ask for his help or to complete my prayer list for the day. I couldn't remember the last time I read the Bible just to hear from God--not to complete my daily "quiet time," or to prepare a sermon or Bible study. I couldn't remember the last time I spent any significant time listening to God. Then this realization broke my heart: I couldn't remember the last time I told Jesus I loved him. I was working for God but not walking with God. I loved him but I was not in love in with him. My relationship with him was one of responsibilities and obligations, not passion and intimacy.
God Issues "Fortune favors the bold" Did you like the ads better than the game? Yesterday's Super Bowl was watched by 150 million Americans, and by an estimated global audience of one billion. It's the only time all year I don't fast-forward the commercials. I am apparently not alone-studies indicate that one Super Bowl ad can be as effective as 250 regular TV commercials. It's no wonder that advertisers paid between $2.5 million and $2.8 million for a 30-second commercial. At that rate, GodIssues could have paid $1,388.88 for one-sixtieth of a second of air time. Maybe next year. The most controversial commercial was Tim and Pam Tebow's Focus on the Family ad and invitation to "celebrate life." I admire their willingness to stand for life, and hope their courage will encourage others. (If you'd like to read my essay on the issue of abortion, please click here.) My vote for funniest ad: David Letterman and Jay Leno sniping at each other, with Oprah Winfrey trying to make peace. If NBC fires Jay, maybe he can work for Dave. My most encouraging moment was watching the halftime show by what's left of The Who. Two of the original foursome performed. It's nice at the age of 51 to see people on the football field who are older than I am. My favorite moment was watching winning Saints quarterback Drew Brees with tears in his eyes, holding his one-year-old son. Having just climbed to the pinnacle of his profession, you could tell that he has his priorities in the right order. Oddsmakers are already handicapping next year's game, with the Colts and Saints expected to meet again. The Colts are favored to win, which should be good news for the Saints since the Colts were predicted to win yesterday as well. Commentators are crediting Saints' coach Sean Payton with winning the game from the sideline. He ordered his team to try for a touchdown on fourth down just before the half. His runner was stopped for no gain, but the coach was undeterred. He called for an onside kick to start the second half; no one in Super Bowl history had ever taken such a risk (except as a desperation move in the fourth quarter). His team recovered the ball, scored their first touchdown, and seized the momentum. His kicker hadn't made a field goal beyond 40 yards in an outdoor stadium all year. Payton didn't care-he sent him out for attempts of 46, 44, and 47 yards, and he made them all. Virgil's Aeneid claims that "audentis fortuna iuvat," "fortune favors the bold." Scripture agrees. Noah built an ark when it had never rained. Abraham left his home to follow God, "not knowing whither he went" (Hebrews 11:8, KJV). Moses faced Pharaoh with only a rod in his hand and God's promise in his heart. Joshua marched around Jericho with no defense but the call of God. The disciples left their homes and livelihoods to follow an itinerant carpenter. Such boldness changed our world forever. A dear friend once challenged me, "Attempt something so great it is doomed to fail unless God be in it." Do you need his advice today? “…bearing with one another, and forgiving one another…” Colossians 3:13
Billy Graham said he believes that 75 percent of patients in hospitals would be made whole if they would forgive. An unforgiving spirit cripples us mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. E.L. Hamilton, a brother in Christ, once rebuked a Christian worker for manifesting an unforgiving spirit towards another Christian. After a moments thought, the lady replied, “Well, I guess I will pardon her, as you suggest, but I never want to have anything more to do with her!” Hamilton said, “Is that how you want God to treat you? Do you want Him to say that He will forgive you, but that He will never have anything more to do with you? Remember, when Christ forgave you, He cast your sins into the sea of everlasting forgetfulness!” Thought for the Day: “If you are suffering from a bad man’s injustice, forgive Him lest there be two bad men.” --Augustine
“This being so, I myself always strive to have a con-science without offense toward God and men.” Acts 24:16
God gave us a conscience and this conscience reflects the basis of God’s law - what is right and what is wrong. The more we resist God and the pricking of our conscience, the less conscience we will have. I’m afraid there are many Christians with half a conscience. The Internal Revenue Service received the following letter from a conscience - stricken taxpayer: “Dear Sir: My conscience bothered me. Here is $175, which I owe in back taxes.” There was a P.S. at the bottom that read: “If my conscience still bothers me, I’ll send in the rest.” Thought for the Day:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
When I came back from Vietnam, I was ushered in to see a psychologist. He told me I was going to end up in a “cuckoo’s nest”. Though I went to therapy, tried medication, and even endured a straight jacket, they could not heal me. I was filled with rage. And no manner of secular therapy could heal the deepest wounds of my heart. It was only when I fully submitted to the Lord that the wounds of my heart received healing. Only Jesus can change a human life. Thought for the Day: God has given us a new life. And through His compassion, we can find healing for our souls.
A couple of days ago I was running (I use that term very loosely) on my treadmill, watching a DVD sermon by Louie Giglio... and I was BLOWN AWAY! I want to share what I learned.... but I fear not being able to convey it as well as I want. I will share anyway.
He (Louie) was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is... how He spoke the universe into being... how He breathes stars out of His mouth that are huge raging balls of fire.. . etc. etc. Then He went on to speak of how this star-breathing, universe creating God ALSO knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder. At this point I am LOVING it (fascinating from a medical standpoint, you know.) .... and I was remembering how I was constantly amazed during medical school as I learned more and more about God's handiwork. I remember so many times thinking.... 'How can ANYONE deny that a Creator did all of this???' Louie went on to talk about how we can trust that the God who created all this, also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart...how our loving Creator is also our sustainer. And then I lost my breath. And it wasn't because I was running my treadmill, either!!! It was because he started talking about laminin. I knew about laminin. Here is how Wikipedia <http://www.wikipedia.org/> describes them: 'Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue.' You see.... laminins are what hold us together.... LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell. Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew all this already. But what I didn't know is what they LOOKED LIKE. But now I do. And I have thought about it a thousand times since (already).... Here is what the structure of laminin looks like... AND THIS IS NOT a 'Christian portrayal' of it.... if you look up laminin in any scientific/medical piece of literature, this is what you will see...
“So the child grew and became strong in spirit…” Luke 1:80
Instead of the phrase, “Do as I say,” it should be said, “Do as I do!” As parents, the greatest lesson we can teach our children is to live a godly life. And, the only way to teach this is to live it. J. Edgar Hoover said, “Parents who do not carry out their duty of instructions by example fail to assume their responsibility in a manner which is detrimental to our Christian society and increases the need for teaching by organized religion. If we are to have an enduring Christian nation, we must strive to reduce crime. The plain and simple maxims of the Bible contain the essential rules which should govern human conduct.” Thought for the Day: Between the child and God stands the parent: a separating wall or a connecting link.
“For I desire mercy not sacrifice, and knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6
In “Surprised by Joy”, C.S. Lewis comments on his conversion: “I did not then see what is now the most shining and obvious thing; the Divine humility which will accept a convert even on such terms. The Prodigal Son at least walked home on his own two feet. But who can duly adore that love which will open the high gates to a prodigal who is brought in kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance to escape. The words compollo intraro (meaning: compel them to come in) have been so abused the wicked men that we shudder at them [the words]; but properly understood, they plumb the depth of the Divine mercy.” Thought for the Day: The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and his compulsion is our liberation.
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