In a few days, millions of people around the world will be making their New Year resolutions. The most popular will probably be to stop smoking and to lose weight. I don't ever remember making any resolutions myself, but its been on my mind today. Not the word resolution necessarily, but the word NEW.
Let us this NEW year, ask God daily for a reNEWing of the mind, a reNEWing of the heart, and a reNEWing of his spirit in us. Let us be faithful, watching and waiting for his return, that we may see, as John did, a NEW heaven and a NEW earth, for God will make all things NEW that day.
As many look forward to the midnight kiss from the one they love, we can listen for the midnight cry from the One who first loved us.
Sit back and relax, close your eyes, and listen closely to the words of this song, and have a Happy New Year in Christ.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
JUST SING
If you remember, about a month ago I told you that sometimes I have "crazy thoughts". Well, here is another.
The church I attend will be having their Christmas play this Sunday, and my wife is one of many carolers. After practice last night she told me about a young lady who is worried about singing because she doesn't think she can. (by the way, my wife says she can) Anyway, I thought of my own experiences when asked to sing. "It wont sound right", or "its too low", or "its too high for me, etc... I'm sure there are many people who feel the same way. But here's my thought.
Have you ever heard a professional singer on live T.V., and the song they are singing is one you have heard many times before on the radio, and something just don't sound right? You may have wondered "What key is that"! That's because some of those so called "pros" aren't quite as good as they sound. Its all done in the studio. Now I'm no expert, but I know that there is some dubbing and re-mixing and other things that go on that could even make Barney Fife sound like Gomer Pyle!
I see it the same way with our voices. They pass through the sanctuary ceiling, and there's a little filtering. On up through the atmosphere, and there's a little editing. Right up to heaven where there is a host of angels at a mixing board, blending millions of voices together. And when they reach the throne of God, what a sound!
So even if you think you cant sing, or you think your voice is nothing more than noise, go on and do what the psalmist said,
The church I attend will be having their Christmas play this Sunday, and my wife is one of many carolers. After practice last night she told me about a young lady who is worried about singing because she doesn't think she can. (by the way, my wife says she can) Anyway, I thought of my own experiences when asked to sing. "It wont sound right", or "its too low", or "its too high for me, etc... I'm sure there are many people who feel the same way. But here's my thought.
Have you ever heard a professional singer on live T.V., and the song they are singing is one you have heard many times before on the radio, and something just don't sound right? You may have wondered "What key is that"! That's because some of those so called "pros" aren't quite as good as they sound. Its all done in the studio. Now I'm no expert, but I know that there is some dubbing and re-mixing and other things that go on that could even make Barney Fife sound like Gomer Pyle!
I see it the same way with our voices. They pass through the sanctuary ceiling, and there's a little filtering. On up through the atmosphere, and there's a little editing. Right up to heaven where there is a host of angels at a mixing board, blending millions of voices together. And when they reach the throne of God, what a sound!
So even if you think you cant sing, or you think your voice is nothing more than noise, go on and do what the psalmist said,
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Christmas Partyless
My friend Andrew Beckner, The Candid Christian, had a very interesting post a few weeks ago about the holidays. If you haven't read it, please do. The topic is the reason for the season and the "Happy Holidays" vs "Merry Christmas" debate. I for one agree that its not my place to make a fuss about the Chili's waitress saying Happy Holidays to me instead of Merry Christmas, because I don't want to get her in trouble with her boss, or even worse, lose her job.
The one thing I cant seem to get out of my mind however, is the fact that some companies have had to cancel their December Christmas parties, and replace them with a "Winter Gathering" sometime in January. I know of one instance where there is only one person, maybe two, who does not believe in the celebration of Christs birth. Wow! How powerful those people must feel. To know that they made a stand about what they don't believe in and corporate America fell to their knees. The presidents of these companies have way more understanding about "keeping everybody happy" than I ever would. My policy would be, if you don't like it, don't come! I guess that's why I will never be president of a company.
I heard a song the other day that had a very good point in it. It said something to the effect that its amazing that a man who lived over two thousand years ago is still so intimidating that his name is not allowed to be used even in part of a word.
I will be having several Christmas parties this year. At home, church, my mothers, my in-laws, etc... I always have and always will enjoy celebrating the birth of Jesus.
And it wont offend me at all if in passing you wish me a "Happy Holiday" or a "Seasons Greetings". Just don't be offended when I reply with Merry CHRISTmas.
The one thing I cant seem to get out of my mind however, is the fact that some companies have had to cancel their December Christmas parties, and replace them with a "Winter Gathering" sometime in January. I know of one instance where there is only one person, maybe two, who does not believe in the celebration of Christs birth. Wow! How powerful those people must feel. To know that they made a stand about what they don't believe in and corporate America fell to their knees. The presidents of these companies have way more understanding about "keeping everybody happy" than I ever would. My policy would be, if you don't like it, don't come! I guess that's why I will never be president of a company.
I heard a song the other day that had a very good point in it. It said something to the effect that its amazing that a man who lived over two thousand years ago is still so intimidating that his name is not allowed to be used even in part of a word.
I will be having several Christmas parties this year. At home, church, my mothers, my in-laws, etc... I always have and always will enjoy celebrating the birth of Jesus.
And it wont offend me at all if in passing you wish me a "Happy Holiday" or a "Seasons Greetings". Just don't be offended when I reply with Merry CHRISTmas.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Four-Wheel Drive
Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him , anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. James 5:14-15
Very familiar scripture. As a matter of fact, I heard it last week as a women was anointed at church. What stuck in my mind, and got me thinking, was her comment. She said that she had tried everything else, but should have tried God first. Sounds like me, and you, and millions of others doesn't it? We have so many "cures" in the world today that we sometimes forget to call on God for our infirmities and weaknesses. Worst of all, we can also let them effect our service to God. If we see this beginning to happen, we need to get back to the "hubs" of our relationship with our Lord. Prayer and the Word.
There are several things that can knock us off track, and put us down in the valley. Here are a few.
ANXIETY- What are you anxious about? Hows your nerves? 1 Peter 5:7 says to "cast all your cares upon him, for he careth for you". Philippians 4:7 says "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus". That peace, His peace, that passeth ALL understanding, will keep our hearts and minds. Maybe we don't ask for help because we just cant understand in our human nature, that he is there for us in all things.
DISCOURAGEMENT- What discourages us? Having trouble at work? Arguments at home? No matter how much or how long we pray, we still have unsaved loved ones. Galatians 6:9 says "And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not". Isaiah 41:10 says "Fear thou not for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness".
EMPTINESS- Do you ever feel empty? Maybe you've been on this way for a long time and you just get stuck, with no excitement in your christian walk. Psalm 107:9 says "for he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness".
LONELINESS- Ever feel like your fighting your battles by yourself and you're all alone? Psalm 16:11 says "thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore".
WORRY- Whats on your mind? What are you worried about? Are the bills all paid? What are the kids doing? Don't worry. God will provide all our needs. Have faith in Jesus and claim his promises. 1 John 5:14-15 says "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him".
SUFFERING- This is the big one! This is something that each of us will face in one way or another, especially as we grow older. But there is hope! Suffering has profit! Hebrews 12:6 says "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth". And in that same chapter in verse 11 it says "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised therby". Suffering also deepens our faith. 1 Peter 1:6-7 says " Wherin ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ". And just in case we forgot, suffering is also to be expected. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong".
So here we are, with all these problems. Anxiety, worry, discouragement, etc... How are we supposed to move on? I read a story today about a man who suffered from one or maybe all of the above mentioned problems. It said that the man was found outside cuddled up under a tree, screaming and begging for his life to end. He was so empty both physically and mentally, that he finally just collapsed! The story went on to say that when he woke up, someone had left some food for him, so he ate, and went back to sleep. When he woke up again, there was more food. The man eventually recovered and went his way. Seems like all he needed was a little rest, a little food, and some time with God. If this was you or me, our families would have probably had us committed! He was definitely in a suicidal state of mind. By the way, just in case you don't recognize the story, it wasn't today's newspaper I read it in. The man is Elijah. And not only did Elijah recover, he was also in the presence of God! Not in the wind, not in the earthquake, not in the fire, but in a still small voice.
When we get down in the valley, can we take the time to wait and listen for the still small voice? It seems that in today's world we don't wait. We look for shortcuts for everything. I don't think that there is any food left in the world that cant be cooked in a microwave! But is it as good as the old fashioned way? The way that takes time and effort? The hand mixing of ingredients that we watched our mothers and grandmothers do? I don't think so. That way was the "hub" of cooking. Like I said at the beginning, there are millions of us that don't take the the time to trust and wait on God, but turn to the pill bottle instead. Don't get me wrong now, I believe that God has given us modern medicine and doctors, and I am thankful for them, but perhaps we have become more dependant on modern technology and modern medicine, and lost our dependency on God. There are even some who would rather take their problems to Dr. Phil, then take them to the Great Physician! We want the "quick-fix". We want what the doctors say will work rather than waiting and looking and listening for that still small voice.
Lets become more dependant on God for all our troubles, and let him bring us out of the valley. Today's world has a lot of gadgets to make life easier and quicker for us, especially automobiles. There is a button for everything! But when your down in that valley and stuck in a rut, gadgets are not what you need. We need to step out of our comfort zones, get right out in the mess and realize that we are truly stuck, bend down, get on our knees, and lock in those HUBS! The hub of prayer! The hub of Gods word. Before we know it, we will start digging in and climbing out of that rut, and begin climbing back up the mountain. And if along the way we find ourselves in another rut, don't panic. Call up your friends. I know they will bring a chain (prayer) and pull us out!
4-wheelin anyone?!
Very familiar scripture. As a matter of fact, I heard it last week as a women was anointed at church. What stuck in my mind, and got me thinking, was her comment. She said that she had tried everything else, but should have tried God first. Sounds like me, and you, and millions of others doesn't it? We have so many "cures" in the world today that we sometimes forget to call on God for our infirmities and weaknesses. Worst of all, we can also let them effect our service to God. If we see this beginning to happen, we need to get back to the "hubs" of our relationship with our Lord. Prayer and the Word.
There are several things that can knock us off track, and put us down in the valley. Here are a few.
ANXIETY- What are you anxious about? Hows your nerves? 1 Peter 5:7 says to "cast all your cares upon him, for he careth for you". Philippians 4:7 says "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus". That peace, His peace, that passeth ALL understanding, will keep our hearts and minds. Maybe we don't ask for help because we just cant understand in our human nature, that he is there for us in all things.
DISCOURAGEMENT- What discourages us? Having trouble at work? Arguments at home? No matter how much or how long we pray, we still have unsaved loved ones. Galatians 6:9 says "And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not". Isaiah 41:10 says "Fear thou not for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness".
EMPTINESS- Do you ever feel empty? Maybe you've been on this way for a long time and you just get stuck, with no excitement in your christian walk. Psalm 107:9 says "for he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness".
LONELINESS- Ever feel like your fighting your battles by yourself and you're all alone? Psalm 16:11 says "thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore".
WORRY- Whats on your mind? What are you worried about? Are the bills all paid? What are the kids doing? Don't worry. God will provide all our needs. Have faith in Jesus and claim his promises. 1 John 5:14-15 says "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him".
SUFFERING- This is the big one! This is something that each of us will face in one way or another, especially as we grow older. But there is hope! Suffering has profit! Hebrews 12:6 says "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth". And in that same chapter in verse 11 it says "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised therby". Suffering also deepens our faith. 1 Peter 1:6-7 says " Wherin ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ". And just in case we forgot, suffering is also to be expected. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong".
So here we are, with all these problems. Anxiety, worry, discouragement, etc... How are we supposed to move on? I read a story today about a man who suffered from one or maybe all of the above mentioned problems. It said that the man was found outside cuddled up under a tree, screaming and begging for his life to end. He was so empty both physically and mentally, that he finally just collapsed! The story went on to say that when he woke up, someone had left some food for him, so he ate, and went back to sleep. When he woke up again, there was more food. The man eventually recovered and went his way. Seems like all he needed was a little rest, a little food, and some time with God. If this was you or me, our families would have probably had us committed! He was definitely in a suicidal state of mind. By the way, just in case you don't recognize the story, it wasn't today's newspaper I read it in. The man is Elijah. And not only did Elijah recover, he was also in the presence of God! Not in the wind, not in the earthquake, not in the fire, but in a still small voice.
When we get down in the valley, can we take the time to wait and listen for the still small voice? It seems that in today's world we don't wait. We look for shortcuts for everything. I don't think that there is any food left in the world that cant be cooked in a microwave! But is it as good as the old fashioned way? The way that takes time and effort? The hand mixing of ingredients that we watched our mothers and grandmothers do? I don't think so. That way was the "hub" of cooking. Like I said at the beginning, there are millions of us that don't take the the time to trust and wait on God, but turn to the pill bottle instead. Don't get me wrong now, I believe that God has given us modern medicine and doctors, and I am thankful for them, but perhaps we have become more dependant on modern technology and modern medicine, and lost our dependency on God. There are even some who would rather take their problems to Dr. Phil, then take them to the Great Physician! We want the "quick-fix". We want what the doctors say will work rather than waiting and looking and listening for that still small voice.
Lets become more dependant on God for all our troubles, and let him bring us out of the valley. Today's world has a lot of gadgets to make life easier and quicker for us, especially automobiles. There is a button for everything! But when your down in that valley and stuck in a rut, gadgets are not what you need. We need to step out of our comfort zones, get right out in the mess and realize that we are truly stuck, bend down, get on our knees, and lock in those HUBS! The hub of prayer! The hub of Gods word. Before we know it, we will start digging in and climbing out of that rut, and begin climbing back up the mountain. And if along the way we find ourselves in another rut, don't panic. Call up your friends. I know they will bring a chain (prayer) and pull us out!
4-wheelin anyone?!
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