We all know that the shortest verse in the Bible is John 11:35 - Jesus wept. However, did you ever stop to think about that short verse? He, the Son of God, wept. Scripture reveals God as an emotional being who feels—a Person. God feels. You feel. He experienced; betrayal, rejection, condemnation, torment, pain as well as; friendship, love, acceptance, joy and peace.
The bible tells us that you and I were made in His image. So, we have those exact feelings and emotions as well. The questions is, how will we handle the tough emotional times? Those times when we feel betrayed, hurt or let down. How did Jesus handle them? Jesus taught, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (Matthew 5:44)
Boy that is tough love. I must confess, I have not done this at times. I have harbored ill feelings in my heart for people who have hurt me or my family and have gone through some very dry ground as a result. However, once I understood that everything comes to me through God's hand for His purpose and that He does not give us more than we can handle - I started resting in the tough times and began to watch His greater plan unfold.
Dear Father, thank you that you are a God who feels deeply and that you created me with deep feelings, too; help me to own my feelings and learn to express them in ways that bring honor to you.
The Truth and the Secret
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (Luke 23:34)
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
He Turns Mourning Into Dancing
Last year my wife lost her brother to lung cancer. It was not only difficult to watch Don struggle with the disease but to see Lori loosing her only brother made it even more difficult. Our family found comfort in Don's relationship with our Lord and God's promise of eternal life through Jesus death and resurrection.
During these times it is normal to question, Why is this happening? Even though death is inevitable for everyone; it never fits our timing, our plans, our will. We simply do not understand - let alone know the answer to the question Why? The scriptures tell us that, His ways are above our finding out.(Romans 11:33-35)
But know this, Jesus has conquered the grave, (1 Corinthians 15:55-58) and has also promised to turn our mourning into dancing.
The Truth
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever. (Psalms 30:11-12)
During these times it is normal to question, Why is this happening? Even though death is inevitable for everyone; it never fits our timing, our plans, our will. We simply do not understand - let alone know the answer to the question Why? The scriptures tell us that, His ways are above our finding out.(Romans 11:33-35)
But know this, Jesus has conquered the grave, (1 Corinthians 15:55-58) and has also promised to turn our mourning into dancing.
The Truth
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever. (Psalms 30:11-12)
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Rekindle a Discouraged Soul
A modern parable has been written about the tools of the enemy that I believe we can really learn from.
“Some time ago, an advertisement appeared in which the devil was putting all his tools up for sale. On the day of public inspection, each one of his tools was marked with its selling price: Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Doubt, Lying, Pride, and so on, were each on the block. Set apart, however, from all the rest of the pile, was a harmless-looking tool, well-worn, but priced very high — it was discouragement!
Someone asked the devil, ‘why is that one priced so high?’ He replied, ‘Ah, that one is more useful to me than all the rest. With it I can pry open a man’s heart and enter, when I cannot get near him with any other tools. Once inside, I can lead him any way I choose. The tool is very worn because I use it on almost everyone, since few people know it belongs to me.’”
The enemy loves to sow discouragement — but believers have a tool much more powerful — encouragement! We can speak a word into the lives of those who desperately need to hear it: to the college student adjusting to his new environment; to the missionary who may feel alone in the harvest field; to the forgotten servants of God who labor in an obscure and difficult ministry; to the orphans and the widows; to all those who need to hear a word in due season!
Inspire one another with words of encouragement! It costs nothing, and reaps an eternal reward
The Truth
A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good it is! (Proverbs 15:23)
“Some time ago, an advertisement appeared in which the devil was putting all his tools up for sale. On the day of public inspection, each one of his tools was marked with its selling price: Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Doubt, Lying, Pride, and so on, were each on the block. Set apart, however, from all the rest of the pile, was a harmless-looking tool, well-worn, but priced very high — it was discouragement!
Someone asked the devil, ‘why is that one priced so high?’ He replied, ‘Ah, that one is more useful to me than all the rest. With it I can pry open a man’s heart and enter, when I cannot get near him with any other tools. Once inside, I can lead him any way I choose. The tool is very worn because I use it on almost everyone, since few people know it belongs to me.’”
The enemy loves to sow discouragement — but believers have a tool much more powerful — encouragement! We can speak a word into the lives of those who desperately need to hear it: to the college student adjusting to his new environment; to the missionary who may feel alone in the harvest field; to the forgotten servants of God who labor in an obscure and difficult ministry; to the orphans and the widows; to all those who need to hear a word in due season!
Inspire one another with words of encouragement! It costs nothing, and reaps an eternal reward
The Truth
A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good it is! (Proverbs 15:23)
Thursday, July 8, 2010
The Helpless Parent
The most difficult aspect of being a parent is to, "Let go." Why? Because you feel helpless. It just seems to go against every instinct of parenting. Most parents want to fix or plan everything their way. But at some point, we must love our sons/daughters enough to let go and just be there when they call for advise or help. Like the father of the prodigal son, we welcome them back with UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. No lecture, no I told you so.
Our Heavenly Father (in a sense) can be like the "helpless parent", whose unending love is neither understood nor appreciated at times. However, He allows His sons/daughters to make their own decisions, despite how bad those choices may be. No matter what terrible wrongs they may commit, He loves them. He is not just a “loving” God — the scripture says that “God IS love” [1 John 4:6].
Therefore, when we come to realize that His love is freely given, we will serve our Heavenly Father because of His love for us! Likewise, when our sons/daughters realize that we love them enough to let them make their own choices, they too will fully understand and appreciate the depth of our love for them.
The Truth
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (John 15:12)
Our Heavenly Father (in a sense) can be like the "helpless parent", whose unending love is neither understood nor appreciated at times. However, He allows His sons/daughters to make their own decisions, despite how bad those choices may be. No matter what terrible wrongs they may commit, He loves them. He is not just a “loving” God — the scripture says that “God IS love” [1 John 4:6].
Therefore, when we come to realize that His love is freely given, we will serve our Heavenly Father because of His love for us! Likewise, when our sons/daughters realize that we love them enough to let them make their own choices, they too will fully understand and appreciate the depth of our love for them.
The Truth
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (John 15:12)
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Be Still and Listen
“Before refrigerators, people used ice-houses to preserve their food. Ice-houses had thick walls, no windows, and a tightly fitted door. In winter, when streams and lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut from the frozen waters, hauled to the ice-houses, and covered with sawdust. Often these ice-blocks would last well into the summer.
One man lost a valuable watch while working in an ice-house. He searched diligently for it, carefully raking through the sawdust, but didn’t find it. His fellow workers also looked, but their efforts, too, proved futile. A small boy who heard about the fruitless search slipped into the ice-house during the noon hour and soon emerged with the watch.
Amazed, the men asked him how he found it.
“I closed the door,” the boy replied, “lay down in the sawdust, and kept very still. Soon I heard the watch ticking.” (story taken from “Directions” by James Hamilton)
So often life can become so hectic that it becomes hard to find time to sit still and just listen to what the Lord is saying. But Jesus often secluded himself, so that He could commune intimately with His Father. In these days and in this hour it’s so imperative that we spend time in our own prayer closets, so we can clearly hear what our Father is saying to us, through His still small voice. If we do, we may find some wonderful and valuable things that others have missed.
The question isn’t whether God will speak, but whether we will take the time to be quiet and still enough to hear His voice.
The Truth
and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. (1 Kings 19:12)
One man lost a valuable watch while working in an ice-house. He searched diligently for it, carefully raking through the sawdust, but didn’t find it. His fellow workers also looked, but their efforts, too, proved futile. A small boy who heard about the fruitless search slipped into the ice-house during the noon hour and soon emerged with the watch.
Amazed, the men asked him how he found it.
“I closed the door,” the boy replied, “lay down in the sawdust, and kept very still. Soon I heard the watch ticking.” (story taken from “Directions” by James Hamilton)
So often life can become so hectic that it becomes hard to find time to sit still and just listen to what the Lord is saying. But Jesus often secluded himself, so that He could commune intimately with His Father. In these days and in this hour it’s so imperative that we spend time in our own prayer closets, so we can clearly hear what our Father is saying to us, through His still small voice. If we do, we may find some wonderful and valuable things that others have missed.
The question isn’t whether God will speak, but whether we will take the time to be quiet and still enough to hear His voice.
The Truth
and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. (1 Kings 19:12)
Monday, May 24, 2010
Ignorance of His Name
Several hundred years before Jesus was born, a plague broke out in Athens, Greece. In an effort to stop the plague and appease the ‘gods’, the Athenians sought counsel from a wise man named Epimenides from the island of Crete.
When Epimenides arrived in Athens, he was amazed at the number of statues of gods the Athenians had erected, to which he stated, “Gods must be easier to find here then men!”
The elders of Athens eagerly gathered on Mars Hill the following day to hear the wisdom of Epimendies and his recommendation for dealing with the plague. So the wise man instructed the Athenians to gather at Mars Hill, bringing with them a flock of sheep, a band of stonemasons and a large supply of stones and mortar. He also commanded that the sheep be prevented from grazing the entire night, so that when they arrived the following morning they would be hungry.
The following morning, Epimenides stated, “Learned elders, you have already expended great effort in offering sacrifice to numerous gods, yet all has proved futile. I am now about to sacrifice based upon three assumptions rather different than yours.”
“The first assumption is that there is still another god concerned in this matter of the plague—a god whose name is unknown to us, and who is therefore not represented by any idol in your country. Secondly, I am going to assume also that this god is great enough—and good enough—to do something about the plague, if only we invoke his help. Thirdly, that any god great enough and good enough to do something about this plague is probably also great and good enough to smile upon us in our ignorance—if we acknowledge our ignorance and call upon him!”
Next, Epimenides ordered the sheep to be released, and he prayed, “O thou unknown god! Behold the plague afflicting this city! And if indeed you feel compassion to forgive and help us, behold this flock of sheep! Reveal your willingness to respond, I plead, by causing any sheep that pleases you to lie down upon the grass instead of grazing. Choose white if white pleases, black if black delights. And those you choose we sacrifice to you—acknowledging our pitiful ignorance of your name!”
As the sheep were released, the people were shocked when the sheep started lying down instead of grazing! Wherever they lay, an altar was erected and a sacrifice was made to the “unknown god!” The Athenians were freed from their plague, and the legend of their deliverance at the hands of the “unknown god” continued unto the time of Paul when he entered into Athens.
This amazing event became Paul’s point of departure for reaching the Athenians with the gospel of Jesus. God had laid an historical foundation to prepare their hearts for seeking and believing in a legendary “unknown god”; a god who had already demonstrated his saving power among them, but one whom the apostle had now come to identify…. and fully reveal to them!
The Truth
"Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you." (Acts 17:22-23)
When Epimenides arrived in Athens, he was amazed at the number of statues of gods the Athenians had erected, to which he stated, “Gods must be easier to find here then men!”
The elders of Athens eagerly gathered on Mars Hill the following day to hear the wisdom of Epimendies and his recommendation for dealing with the plague. So the wise man instructed the Athenians to gather at Mars Hill, bringing with them a flock of sheep, a band of stonemasons and a large supply of stones and mortar. He also commanded that the sheep be prevented from grazing the entire night, so that when they arrived the following morning they would be hungry.
The following morning, Epimenides stated, “Learned elders, you have already expended great effort in offering sacrifice to numerous gods, yet all has proved futile. I am now about to sacrifice based upon three assumptions rather different than yours.”
“The first assumption is that there is still another god concerned in this matter of the plague—a god whose name is unknown to us, and who is therefore not represented by any idol in your country. Secondly, I am going to assume also that this god is great enough—and good enough—to do something about the plague, if only we invoke his help. Thirdly, that any god great enough and good enough to do something about this plague is probably also great and good enough to smile upon us in our ignorance—if we acknowledge our ignorance and call upon him!”
Next, Epimenides ordered the sheep to be released, and he prayed, “O thou unknown god! Behold the plague afflicting this city! And if indeed you feel compassion to forgive and help us, behold this flock of sheep! Reveal your willingness to respond, I plead, by causing any sheep that pleases you to lie down upon the grass instead of grazing. Choose white if white pleases, black if black delights. And those you choose we sacrifice to you—acknowledging our pitiful ignorance of your name!”
As the sheep were released, the people were shocked when the sheep started lying down instead of grazing! Wherever they lay, an altar was erected and a sacrifice was made to the “unknown god!” The Athenians were freed from their plague, and the legend of their deliverance at the hands of the “unknown god” continued unto the time of Paul when he entered into Athens.
This amazing event became Paul’s point of departure for reaching the Athenians with the gospel of Jesus. God had laid an historical foundation to prepare their hearts for seeking and believing in a legendary “unknown god”; a god who had already demonstrated his saving power among them, but one whom the apostle had now come to identify…. and fully reveal to them!
The Truth
"Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you." (Acts 17:22-23)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Testify of His Goodness
I came across this story about an organization in Montana that offered a bounty of five thousand dollars for every wolf captured alive. Two hunters, after reading the announcement, decided to head for the hills and make some money capturing wolves. Day and night, they scoured the mountains and forests searching for the valuable prey. Exhausted after three days of hunting without success, they both fell asleep. During the night, one of the hunters suddenly woke up to find that the two were surrounded by a pack of fifty wolves, their eyes flaming and teeth bared. At once, he called to his friend, “Hey, wake up! We’re gonna be rich!”
There are times in our lives when circumstances can surround us like that pack of wolves, preparing to pounce and, it can seem like there is no way out - no hope for resolution. However, as pastor Chuck constantly use to remind us, "Mans difficulties are Gods opportunities." He would say that, "it is through tribulations that we see God taking each situation, one by one, and turning it for His Glory."
I can testify that the longer I live, the more I see the wisdom of this great truth. God does work in the affairs of men. He is mindful of us, He does preserve us from evil, help in time of trouble, guide us with His Spirit, hear our prayers, strengthen us in our time of need and most of all - provide us with eternal life through His Son, Jesus.
We then should testify of His great goodness in our lives and share with others what God has done for us.
The Truth
"I will praise you, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will tell of Your marvelous works." (Psalm 9:1)
There are times in our lives when circumstances can surround us like that pack of wolves, preparing to pounce and, it can seem like there is no way out - no hope for resolution. However, as pastor Chuck constantly use to remind us, "Mans difficulties are Gods opportunities." He would say that, "it is through tribulations that we see God taking each situation, one by one, and turning it for His Glory."
I can testify that the longer I live, the more I see the wisdom of this great truth. God does work in the affairs of men. He is mindful of us, He does preserve us from evil, help in time of trouble, guide us with His Spirit, hear our prayers, strengthen us in our time of need and most of all - provide us with eternal life through His Son, Jesus.
We then should testify of His great goodness in our lives and share with others what God has done for us.
The Truth
"I will praise you, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will tell of Your marvelous works." (Psalm 9:1)
Monday, April 26, 2010
Don't Throw Darts
I recently came across this story about a young lady named Sally and her experience in a recent seminary class, given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons. This particular day, Sally walked into the class and knew they were in for an interesting day.
On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person’s picture.
Sally’s friend drew a picture of girl who had stolen her boyfriend. Another guy drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend. The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students were throwing their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart and everyone was laughing hysterically.
Finally, Dr. Smith asked all the students to be seated. He came to the front of the class with a less-than-amused look on his face. As he began removing the target from the wall, there appeared underneath, a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture; holes and jagged marks covered Jesus’ face, and His eyes were pierced.
What a powerful analogy. When we “throw darts” at our brothers and sisters, friends and even strangers, we are actually piercing our Lord too.
The Truth
“In as much as you have done it unto the least of these my brothers, you have done it unto Me.” (Matthew 25:40)
On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person’s picture.
Sally’s friend drew a picture of girl who had stolen her boyfriend. Another guy drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend. The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students were throwing their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart and everyone was laughing hysterically.
Finally, Dr. Smith asked all the students to be seated. He came to the front of the class with a less-than-amused look on his face. As he began removing the target from the wall, there appeared underneath, a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture; holes and jagged marks covered Jesus’ face, and His eyes were pierced.
What a powerful analogy. When we “throw darts” at our brothers and sisters, friends and even strangers, we are actually piercing our Lord too.
The Truth
“In as much as you have done it unto the least of these my brothers, you have done it unto Me.” (Matthew 25:40)
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