Today's Reading:
Deuteronomy 3-4
Mark 10
I love baseball. I always have. It is the greatest of all games. There is no clock to sound the end of play. You can't simply run the ball into the line a few times a run out the clock. You have to let the other guy have his turn. The game isn't over until you have recorded that 27th out...and when that happens it is pure pandemonium.
And it's season is unlike anything else in sport...6 months long...162 games. Some say it's too long. That it has too many games. But that is where the beauty lies. There is always a game tomorrow. We are such a task oriented society. We like to set goals for ourselves so that we can "think" we have arrived at something. But you never arrive at anything, because just like baseball, there is always another game tomorrow, and you must prepare for it. Their is always another day to live so don't linger upon your success for too long. Never get too high, or too low because the season is a grind. It doesn't take a break...Baseball is like life. You don't have a week to prepare for the next game...it's here before you know it...like the next day of life.
It was once asked of a player by the name of Joe Gordon who played for the New York Yankees by his manager "Hey Joe, what's you batting average?" The player replied "I don't know." "Well then, what's your fielding average?" to which Joe replied "I don't know."
and the manager turned at looked to a man he was standing with and said "That's what I like about (Joe). All he does is come to beat ya." He just came to play...
It's why I love baseball
And it is why I love what is written in Deuteronomy Chapter 4. Moses tells the people to listen to God and follow his commands. By doing this they would see their lives become a shining example to the people around them. That through them others would see the greatness of God. By just living the life God had for them to live.
Then in verse 9 he says something I love so much...a warning. “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live!" The danger we get into is we think we have arrived at some point in life and we can then relax...but in life (just like baseball) it doesn't rest, and it won't celebrate your victory. It will come at you, just like the next game of an 162 game season, and you have to be ready.
and then a command to pass these on to our children, and their children, and their children, and their.....because it never ends, and you will never arrive...
and least not until life is over.
162 games...it is a beautiful thing. It is what makes the game great because you can't rest. You can't relax, and you don't get to celebrate until the end. No other sport is like it...no other sport is so much like life.
Someday I want to celebrate with my savior, but the season is not over yet and there is work to be done, another game to be played and no time to celebrate...not yet at least.
I wish to end tonight with my favorite poem. Actually it is the only poem I know. It is called "Game Called" by Grantland Rice
Game Called. Across the field of play
the dusk has come, the hour is late.
The fight is done and lost or won,
the player files out through the gate.
The tumult dies, the cheer is hushed,
the stands are bare, the park is still.
But through the night there shines the light,
home beyond the silent hill.
Game Called. Where in the golden light
the bugle rolled the reveille.
The shadows creep where night falls deep,
and taps has called the end of play.
The game is done, the score is in,
the final cheer and jeer have passed.
But in the night, beyond the fight,
the player finds his rest at last.
Game Called. Upon the field of life
the darkness gathers far and wide,
the dream is done, the score is spun
that stands forever in the guide.
Nor victory, nor yet defeat
is chalked against the players name.
But down the roll, the final scroll,
shows only how he played the game.
May we all play the game well...and for Him
Monday, March 7, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Our responsibility to one another
Today's Reading:
Mark 1-3
Numbers 1-2
Okay, so I have gotten a little behind on my posting. Not my reading. I am still very much keeping up with my reading. I encourage you to read Mark 1-3 (it won't take long) and Numbers can be a little hard to get through but stick with it :-) Today I want to share a devotional I read on Saturday by Oswald Chambers. It is very good and something to think about. Have a great day.
Verse "For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves."- Romans 14:7
"Has it ever dawned on you that you are responsible for other souls spiritually before God For instance, if I allow any private deflection from God in my life, everyone about me suffers. We "sit together in heavenly places." "Whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it." When once you allow physical selfishness, mental slovenliness, moral obtuseness, spiritual density, everyone belonging to your crowd will suffer. "But," you say, "who is sufficient for these things if you erect a standard like that " "Our sufficiency is of God," and of Him alone. "Ye shall be My witnesses." How many of us are willing to spend every ounce of nervous energy, of mental, moral and spiritual energy we have for Jesus Christ That is the meaning of a witness in God's sense of the word. It takes time, be patient with yourself. God has left us on the earth - what for To be saved and sanctified No, to be at it for Him. Am I willing to be broken bread and poured out wine for Him To be spoilt for this age, for this life, to be spoilt from every standpoint but one - saving as I can disciple men and women to the Lord Jesus Christ. My life as a worker is the way I say "thank you" to God for His unspeakable salvation. Remember it is quite possible for any one of us to be flung out as reprobate silver - ". . . lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."
Tomorrow's Reading:
Mark 3 (Re-read it)
Numbers 3-4
Mark 1-3
Numbers 1-2
Okay, so I have gotten a little behind on my posting. Not my reading. I am still very much keeping up with my reading. I encourage you to read Mark 1-3 (it won't take long) and Numbers can be a little hard to get through but stick with it :-) Today I want to share a devotional I read on Saturday by Oswald Chambers. It is very good and something to think about. Have a great day.
Verse "For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves."- Romans 14:7
"Has it ever dawned on you that you are responsible for other souls spiritually before God For instance, if I allow any private deflection from God in my life, everyone about me suffers. We "sit together in heavenly places." "Whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it." When once you allow physical selfishness, mental slovenliness, moral obtuseness, spiritual density, everyone belonging to your crowd will suffer. "But," you say, "who is sufficient for these things if you erect a standard like that " "Our sufficiency is of God," and of Him alone. "Ye shall be My witnesses." How many of us are willing to spend every ounce of nervous energy, of mental, moral and spiritual energy we have for Jesus Christ That is the meaning of a witness in God's sense of the word. It takes time, be patient with yourself. God has left us on the earth - what for To be saved and sanctified No, to be at it for Him. Am I willing to be broken bread and poured out wine for Him To be spoilt for this age, for this life, to be spoilt from every standpoint but one - saving as I can disciple men and women to the Lord Jesus Christ. My life as a worker is the way I say "thank you" to God for His unspeakable salvation. Remember it is quite possible for any one of us to be flung out as reprobate silver - ". . . lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."
Tomorrow's Reading:
Mark 3 (Re-read it)
Numbers 3-4
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
It all becomes so clear...
Today's Reading:
Matthew 27
Somewhere in Leviticus :-)
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he (Jesus) was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Philippians 2:3-8
I learned something long ago, and the longer I study the Bible it proves itself true. The BIble explains the Bible. Yeah, I know it may sound confusing. What I mean is that one verse found in the Bible, in order to understand it fully, you have to know another verse...and that other verse is explained by yet another verse somewhere else in scripture. The Bible is not a random collection of do's and do nots. It is not a self help book filled with a random collection of advice. It is God's grand story. A tapestry so beautifully interwoven that if you take but one thread from the story...it unravels. It would be missing something so important as if one ripped the page out of a novel or cut 10 very important minutes from a movie. It is God's grand painting. The more verses I learn and take to heart the greater my ability to understand fully the truth God wants to reveal in His word.
Tonight I read Matthew 27...the story of the crucifixion of Jesus.It has the ability to read very dry...it's extremely historical in nature. No embellishment...no drama...no fancy words meant to illicit emotion. It is merely a history...and not overly exciting I must say.
But then I remember the words of Philippians 2:3-8 and Matthew 27 takes on a whole new significance. (Yes, you should read Matthew 27 :-)
Jesus was God...and suddenly I think of the scene in the Old Testament where Moses wishes to see God's Glory and God informs Moses quite simply "You can't handle it Moses." I am reminded of how great and beyond us God truly is...and yet here is Jesus in Matthew 27, being that very same God, born as a man and humbling himself to the death on a cross (the most brutal form of death ever concocted) described in Matthew 27...
...and all for me, and you, and anyone else that has ever lived. When I take the identity that the Bible gives me of Jesus in Philippians (and dozens of other verses) Matthew 27 takes on it's full meaning and it is at that time that I find myself reading such a dry, historical recount of a man's death and find tears of joy streaming down my face...because I "Know" who it is that is being beaten, tormented, flog, abused and crucified...
....and I know why He is doing it...all to show me love the world has never seen before or since to bring me back to Himself...it is God in human form...Jesus, the Christ.
Do not make the mistake of reading the Bible as if it is simply a collection of ancient proverbs because if you do you will simply miss the point.
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his gone and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
So often quoted, and perhaps so often glossed over with a "yeah, yeah, I know that." that we fail to appreciate the magnitude of what happens in Matthew 27.
Let us not become so fixated upon one part of the painting that we miss the painting itself in all it's beauty.
Thank you Jesus for what you did in chapter 27 of Matthew...because it means everything :-)
Matthew 27
Somewhere in Leviticus :-)
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he (Jesus) was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Philippians 2:3-8
I learned something long ago, and the longer I study the Bible it proves itself true. The BIble explains the Bible. Yeah, I know it may sound confusing. What I mean is that one verse found in the Bible, in order to understand it fully, you have to know another verse...and that other verse is explained by yet another verse somewhere else in scripture. The Bible is not a random collection of do's and do nots. It is not a self help book filled with a random collection of advice. It is God's grand story. A tapestry so beautifully interwoven that if you take but one thread from the story...it unravels. It would be missing something so important as if one ripped the page out of a novel or cut 10 very important minutes from a movie. It is God's grand painting. The more verses I learn and take to heart the greater my ability to understand fully the truth God wants to reveal in His word.
Tonight I read Matthew 27...the story of the crucifixion of Jesus.It has the ability to read very dry...it's extremely historical in nature. No embellishment...no drama...no fancy words meant to illicit emotion. It is merely a history...and not overly exciting I must say.
But then I remember the words of Philippians 2:3-8 and Matthew 27 takes on a whole new significance. (Yes, you should read Matthew 27 :-)
Jesus was God...and suddenly I think of the scene in the Old Testament where Moses wishes to see God's Glory and God informs Moses quite simply "You can't handle it Moses." I am reminded of how great and beyond us God truly is...and yet here is Jesus in Matthew 27, being that very same God, born as a man and humbling himself to the death on a cross (the most brutal form of death ever concocted) described in Matthew 27...
...and all for me, and you, and anyone else that has ever lived. When I take the identity that the Bible gives me of Jesus in Philippians (and dozens of other verses) Matthew 27 takes on it's full meaning and it is at that time that I find myself reading such a dry, historical recount of a man's death and find tears of joy streaming down my face...because I "Know" who it is that is being beaten, tormented, flog, abused and crucified...
....and I know why He is doing it...all to show me love the world has never seen before or since to bring me back to Himself...it is God in human form...Jesus, the Christ.
Do not make the mistake of reading the Bible as if it is simply a collection of ancient proverbs because if you do you will simply miss the point.
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his gone and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
So often quoted, and perhaps so often glossed over with a "yeah, yeah, I know that." that we fail to appreciate the magnitude of what happens in Matthew 27.
Let us not become so fixated upon one part of the painting that we miss the painting itself in all it's beauty.
Thank you Jesus for what you did in chapter 27 of Matthew...because it means everything :-)
Sunday, February 13, 2011
We All Need a Loyal Friend...
A Friend is Loyal
“But the thing that makes Woody special is that he'll never give up on you. Ever. He'll be there for you no matter what.” (Toy Story 3)
We are in the middle of a 5 week series called “New Friend Request.” It is my hope that at the end of this series we will have better idea of why we need friends, what things make a good friend and how to choose our friends wisely. The big idea I want us to take away from these 5 weeks is this...“Your friends will determine the direction and quality of your lives.” The people you hang out with and spend time with the most will have a direct impact on the choices you make. Proverbs 13:20 says this exact thing.
“Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble”
“Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.” (The Message)
Last week we talked about the importance of friends. A person alone in this world is in trouble. We all need a friend. We were designed to have friends. Genesis 2:18 says that after God made the first man He said “It is not good for the man to be alone.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 echoes this sentiment. “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”
We need a friend or two in our life...but we need the right kind of friend. The type of friend God wants for us.
This week I want to talk about what makes a true friend.
Yesterday I watched Toy Story 3. (Great movie if you haven’t seen it by the way. )The main character is Woody. Now Woody is far from perfect. he gets jealous, He does selfish things at times, but the thing I love about Woody is he cares about Andy (his owner.) He wants to bring Andy joy. He feels like that is his great calling in life, to be there for Andy. We all know the theme song to Toy Story right....
You've got a friend in me. You’ve got a friend in me......( you can sing along if you like :-)
It’s a great song (I think.) There is one line in this song though I want to focus in on. It says “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. We stick together we can see it through.” That’s a friend. You find someone like that, you have got yourself a loyal friend and we all need a loyal friend. Someone who sticks with you no matter what. We all need a friend...and those friends should be loyal.
Woody says it perfectly “What matters is that we're here for Andy when he needs us.”
That is true friendship. It is that kind of attitude that makes a loyal friend. Being there for someone else. We all want a friend like this, don’t we? We all need a friend like this don’t you think? A loyal friend. Someone who cares more about us that they do about themselves?? A true friend is loyal. I mean...don’t you want to know that the friends you have in your life care more about you then they do themselves? The problem is, many of your “friends”...they don’t care about you. They care about themselves...If are friends will determine the direction and quality of our lives, are these the “friends” we want determining our choices and future? Are these the people you want choosing the kind of life you have? People who don’t really care about you???
We all need a loyal friend.
Proverbs 17:17 says it perfectly I think. “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.” The word here that says “loyal” comes from a hebrew word which means the same thing as love. The ESV translation says it this way “A friend loves at all times.” What kind of love is it talking about?? It’s the love that God has for us. The love He showed on the cross when He died for you and me. That’s what a loyal friend looks like. They love, like Jesus, at all times.
Now friendship can be a tricky thing. We read a verse like this and think a friend is someone who just accepts us for you we are. Doesn’t loving someone mean you just accept them?!?! Now while it is true, a true friend is someone who accepts us for who we are...that’s not the only thing a friend should do. See, you can accept someone without actually loving them but if you love someone you will accept them.....but you will do more. We, many times, are willing to settle for a friend who simply accepts and we don’t go any further. People like to be accepted. Acceptance is an important part of a any friendship, but it’s only one part. There are people I went to high school and college with, people who got into all sorts of trouble who had friends that accepted them but didn’t actually love them. And many times it was those “friends” that got them into trouble to begin with. Acceptance is important...just not the only thing.”
I watched a special last night on a guy by the name of Lemmy. Lemmy is the lead guy in a heavy metal band called Motorhead. As I was watching the documentary it got me thinking. See, in the metal world friends are tight. Metal guys stick close to their metal cohorts. They accept each other as they are. But that is all they do often. They accept each others drug use, alcohol consumption and other destructive behaviors. They quite often accept each other to death.
Hey I want a friend that accepts me...but at what cost???
Proverbs 18:24 says “There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.” I like how it puts the word “friends” in quotes because one who destroys is no friend at all. One accepts another to death...a friend who simply accepts but is not willing to love (you will see the difference in a moment) is no friend at all. It is that type of friend that will destroy your life and your dreams. A person who makes and chooses friends too easily is in trouble of destruction.
But a person who thinks and chooses their friends wisely is smart because a real friend sticks close. A loyal friend will accept you, but they will also do so much more. The word friend used here and other places in the Bible is a word that means “one who loves.”
Someone who loves you accepts for who you are, but they are not willing to leave you there. A loyal friend cares about what is best for you. A loyal friend is even more concerned about you than they are about the friendship. They are more concerned with what is best for you than they are with being accepted by you and what is best for you is what God wants for you. A loyal friend, biblically speaking, is a person who accepts you for you who are but also wants you to grow closer to God and will do whatever is necessary to help you achieve this.
We need friends that help us grow closer to God, not further away.
“A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.”...“A friend loves at all times.”
As we go through our day, we need to ask ourselves, am I making friends that love me? Am I creating relationships with people who will draw me closer to God or am I making “friends” who will destroy me? Do I have loyal friends in my life? Your friends will determine the direction and quality of your life. A phony friend won’t take you in the direction you want to go...you need a loyal friend to get you where you want to be.
“The thing that makes a true, loyal friend special is that they'll never give up on you and helping you become the person God’s wants you to be. They will never give up on you...Ever. They'll be there for you no matter what.”
“But the thing that makes Woody special is that he'll never give up on you. Ever. He'll be there for you no matter what.” (Toy Story 3)
We are in the middle of a 5 week series called “New Friend Request.” It is my hope that at the end of this series we will have better idea of why we need friends, what things make a good friend and how to choose our friends wisely. The big idea I want us to take away from these 5 weeks is this...“Your friends will determine the direction and quality of your lives.” The people you hang out with and spend time with the most will have a direct impact on the choices you make. Proverbs 13:20 says this exact thing.
“Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble”
“Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.” (The Message)
Last week we talked about the importance of friends. A person alone in this world is in trouble. We all need a friend. We were designed to have friends. Genesis 2:18 says that after God made the first man He said “It is not good for the man to be alone.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 echoes this sentiment. “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”
We need a friend or two in our life...but we need the right kind of friend. The type of friend God wants for us.
This week I want to talk about what makes a true friend.
Yesterday I watched Toy Story 3. (Great movie if you haven’t seen it by the way. )The main character is Woody. Now Woody is far from perfect. he gets jealous, He does selfish things at times, but the thing I love about Woody is he cares about Andy (his owner.) He wants to bring Andy joy. He feels like that is his great calling in life, to be there for Andy. We all know the theme song to Toy Story right....
You've got a friend in me. You’ve got a friend in me......( you can sing along if you like :-)
It’s a great song (I think.) There is one line in this song though I want to focus in on. It says “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. We stick together we can see it through.” That’s a friend. You find someone like that, you have got yourself a loyal friend and we all need a loyal friend. Someone who sticks with you no matter what. We all need a friend...and those friends should be loyal.
Woody says it perfectly “What matters is that we're here for Andy when he needs us.”
That is true friendship. It is that kind of attitude that makes a loyal friend. Being there for someone else. We all want a friend like this, don’t we? We all need a friend like this don’t you think? A loyal friend. Someone who cares more about us that they do about themselves?? A true friend is loyal. I mean...don’t you want to know that the friends you have in your life care more about you then they do themselves? The problem is, many of your “friends”...they don’t care about you. They care about themselves...If are friends will determine the direction and quality of our lives, are these the “friends” we want determining our choices and future? Are these the people you want choosing the kind of life you have? People who don’t really care about you???
We all need a loyal friend.
Proverbs 17:17 says it perfectly I think. “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.” The word here that says “loyal” comes from a hebrew word which means the same thing as love. The ESV translation says it this way “A friend loves at all times.” What kind of love is it talking about?? It’s the love that God has for us. The love He showed on the cross when He died for you and me. That’s what a loyal friend looks like. They love, like Jesus, at all times.
Now friendship can be a tricky thing. We read a verse like this and think a friend is someone who just accepts us for you we are. Doesn’t loving someone mean you just accept them?!?! Now while it is true, a true friend is someone who accepts us for who we are...that’s not the only thing a friend should do. See, you can accept someone without actually loving them but if you love someone you will accept them.....but you will do more. We, many times, are willing to settle for a friend who simply accepts and we don’t go any further. People like to be accepted. Acceptance is an important part of a any friendship, but it’s only one part. There are people I went to high school and college with, people who got into all sorts of trouble who had friends that accepted them but didn’t actually love them. And many times it was those “friends” that got them into trouble to begin with. Acceptance is important...just not the only thing.”
I watched a special last night on a guy by the name of Lemmy. Lemmy is the lead guy in a heavy metal band called Motorhead. As I was watching the documentary it got me thinking. See, in the metal world friends are tight. Metal guys stick close to their metal cohorts. They accept each other as they are. But that is all they do often. They accept each others drug use, alcohol consumption and other destructive behaviors. They quite often accept each other to death.
Hey I want a friend that accepts me...but at what cost???
Proverbs 18:24 says “There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.” I like how it puts the word “friends” in quotes because one who destroys is no friend at all. One accepts another to death...a friend who simply accepts but is not willing to love (you will see the difference in a moment) is no friend at all. It is that type of friend that will destroy your life and your dreams. A person who makes and chooses friends too easily is in trouble of destruction.
But a person who thinks and chooses their friends wisely is smart because a real friend sticks close. A loyal friend will accept you, but they will also do so much more. The word friend used here and other places in the Bible is a word that means “one who loves.”
Someone who loves you accepts for who you are, but they are not willing to leave you there. A loyal friend cares about what is best for you. A loyal friend is even more concerned about you than they are about the friendship. They are more concerned with what is best for you than they are with being accepted by you and what is best for you is what God wants for you. A loyal friend, biblically speaking, is a person who accepts you for you who are but also wants you to grow closer to God and will do whatever is necessary to help you achieve this.
We need friends that help us grow closer to God, not further away.
“A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.”...“A friend loves at all times.”
As we go through our day, we need to ask ourselves, am I making friends that love me? Am I creating relationships with people who will draw me closer to God or am I making “friends” who will destroy me? Do I have loyal friends in my life? Your friends will determine the direction and quality of your life. A phony friend won’t take you in the direction you want to go...you need a loyal friend to get you where you want to be.
“The thing that makes a true, loyal friend special is that they'll never give up on you and helping you become the person God’s wants you to be. They will never give up on you...Ever. They'll be there for you no matter what.”
Thursday, February 10, 2011
You welcomed me...
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
(Matthew 25:35 ESV)
I work with people, and I would love to say I lived this verse out...but I don't. In many ways I am a loner, a hermit. I like to be by myself. I enjoy quiet. I enjoy stillness. It energizes me.
But when I am around others, I like to know that others want me there. When we welcome another person, when we share and show love to our fellow man we are doing the work God put us here to do. The words above were spoken by Jesus. He said that when we do these things for others it is as if we are doing them for Him.
I know one group of people that wants to be welcomed more than any other...the middle school student. They want to know they are known, seen...important. That someone cares who they are just the way they are. That someone knows their name and is glad to have them there.
Of course I guess we all are that way :-)
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
(Matthew 25:40 ESV)
The great thing about Jesus is this...He is God (and God in all his "hugeness" is beyond anything we can ever begin to comprehend.) And yet Jesus did not think of equality with God as something to cling to, gave up his divine privileges; and was born as a human being.
and then He humbled himself and died a criminal’s death on a cross....because He wanted to welcome us...
welcome us and bring us back to God.
Oh that I might welcome others the way He has welcomed me
(Matthew 25:35 ESV)
I work with people, and I would love to say I lived this verse out...but I don't. In many ways I am a loner, a hermit. I like to be by myself. I enjoy quiet. I enjoy stillness. It energizes me.
But when I am around others, I like to know that others want me there. When we welcome another person, when we share and show love to our fellow man we are doing the work God put us here to do. The words above were spoken by Jesus. He said that when we do these things for others it is as if we are doing them for Him.
I know one group of people that wants to be welcomed more than any other...the middle school student. They want to know they are known, seen...important. That someone cares who they are just the way they are. That someone knows their name and is glad to have them there.
Of course I guess we all are that way :-)
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
(Matthew 25:40 ESV)
The great thing about Jesus is this...He is God (and God in all his "hugeness" is beyond anything we can ever begin to comprehend.) And yet Jesus did not think of equality with God as something to cling to, gave up his divine privileges; and was born as a human being.
and then He humbled himself and died a criminal’s death on a cross....because He wanted to welcome us...
welcome us and bring us back to God.
Oh that I might welcome others the way He has welcomed me
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
What I fear most...
Today's Readings:
Leviticus 6-7
Matthew 25:1-30
What do I fear most you ask???
Austin Powers' quotes aside, what is the thing I fear most?? Spiders...yes, they creep me out. Being alone in the dark...no thank you. The movie "Daredevil".....not scary, just really bad.
There are many things that I fear, but the thing I fear most is the thought of my middle schoolers getting involved with the wrong people. I've seen it too many times. I saw it growing up. I saw it in high school. I saw it college. I have seen it in the lives of adults. Nearly 42 years of life and I have seen it happen all to often. Just now I think about the fact that I have taught elementary school for 18 years now. Taught at summer camps for 6 more years. Been a middle school pastor for almost 3 years...it goes without saying that thousands of students have passed through my classrooms (with countless more being seen on the playgrounds of recess and lunch.)
and how many times have I seen a life derailed by the choice to hang with the wrong crowd.
By no means am I saying we wall ourselves off. I don't believe there are bad people and good people. And besides, Jesus did call us to live in a walled city. What I am saying is that our kids need to be careful who they invite into their inner circle. They need to be thoughtful about who they allow to influence their lives.
Tonight I read Leviticus 6-7. Leviticus 7:19 says "Meat that touches anything ceremonially unclean may not be eaten; it must be completely burned up." There are many verses in the Bible that talk about things that are clean and unclean.
In Deuteronomy 7:3-4 it says "You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods."
There is a definite warning throughout scripture to be careful about putting ourselves in a position or among people that may lead us astray. I encourage my students to make friends with students who may not believe in all they believe. I don't believe Jesus wants us to shun others simply because of how they live. Jesus himself went to those that needed Him most...but he took 12 other guys with Him :-) We need be careful is all. I want my students to have friends around them, an inner circle, who help them grow closer to God and make good choices. That way they will have the support needed to keep them from following the "wrong" crowd (and in the process those friends may be helping to change a few lost lives as well :-)
In Epic Jv we are learning about friends. How to find friends and build lasting friendships that draw us closer to God. We learned a verse on Sunday. Ecclesiastes 4:12 "A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."
What I fear most is that students, in their longing to find friends and someone who "loves" them will venture off alone into a world that does not love them and take them down a path of death and destruction. "Walk with the wise and become wise;
associate with fools and get in trouble." (Proverbs 13:20)
Foolishness, like uncleanness, has a way of rubbing off and making us foolish as well. This is what I fear most, especially when it comes to my middle school friends.
Tomorrow's Reading:
Leviticus 8-10
Matthew 25:31-46
Leviticus 6-7
Matthew 25:1-30
What do I fear most you ask???
Austin Powers' quotes aside, what is the thing I fear most?? Spiders...yes, they creep me out. Being alone in the dark...no thank you. The movie "Daredevil".....not scary, just really bad.
There are many things that I fear, but the thing I fear most is the thought of my middle schoolers getting involved with the wrong people. I've seen it too many times. I saw it growing up. I saw it in high school. I saw it college. I have seen it in the lives of adults. Nearly 42 years of life and I have seen it happen all to often. Just now I think about the fact that I have taught elementary school for 18 years now. Taught at summer camps for 6 more years. Been a middle school pastor for almost 3 years...it goes without saying that thousands of students have passed through my classrooms (with countless more being seen on the playgrounds of recess and lunch.)
and how many times have I seen a life derailed by the choice to hang with the wrong crowd.
By no means am I saying we wall ourselves off. I don't believe there are bad people and good people. And besides, Jesus did call us to live in a walled city. What I am saying is that our kids need to be careful who they invite into their inner circle. They need to be thoughtful about who they allow to influence their lives.
Tonight I read Leviticus 6-7. Leviticus 7:19 says "Meat that touches anything ceremonially unclean may not be eaten; it must be completely burned up." There are many verses in the Bible that talk about things that are clean and unclean.
In Deuteronomy 7:3-4 it says "You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods."
There is a definite warning throughout scripture to be careful about putting ourselves in a position or among people that may lead us astray. I encourage my students to make friends with students who may not believe in all they believe. I don't believe Jesus wants us to shun others simply because of how they live. Jesus himself went to those that needed Him most...but he took 12 other guys with Him :-) We need be careful is all. I want my students to have friends around them, an inner circle, who help them grow closer to God and make good choices. That way they will have the support needed to keep them from following the "wrong" crowd (and in the process those friends may be helping to change a few lost lives as well :-)
In Epic Jv we are learning about friends. How to find friends and build lasting friendships that draw us closer to God. We learned a verse on Sunday. Ecclesiastes 4:12 "A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."
What I fear most is that students, in their longing to find friends and someone who "loves" them will venture off alone into a world that does not love them and take them down a path of death and destruction. "Walk with the wise and become wise;
associate with fools and get in trouble." (Proverbs 13:20)
Foolishness, like uncleanness, has a way of rubbing off and making us foolish as well. This is what I fear most, especially when it comes to my middle school friends.
Tomorrow's Reading:
Leviticus 8-10
Matthew 25:31-46
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Be Ready, for the Lord is Coming...
Today's Readings:
Leviticus 4-5
Matthew 24:29-51
"So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming." (Matthew 24:42)
Tonight at Epic Jv (middle school group) I shared Ephesians 5:15-17 with kids..."So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do."
Today, as I read Matthew 24, I was reminded about the need to live thoughtfully. We should think carefully about our choices. We should not live life just hoping for the best. We should have a plan. We should think about each day before it happens. My fear, as i work with my middle school students, is that too many of them aren't thinking about life. They don't have a plan for each day. Heck, most adults don't take a careful look at their life and their choices.
How often do I run headlong into life without a thought or a plan...and then wonder why things don't work out.
I want to live a life of purpose and meaning. I want to live a life of joy and peace but it will not happen by accident.
It takes thought, understanding, and effort. I want to make the most of each day by living the life I was created to live and be the man God made me to be.
I like to think I am on the right track...but I need to stay close to the one who gave me His all...
So that when He comes back He might find me doing all the right things.
Leviticus 4-5
Matthew 24:29-51
"So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming." (Matthew 24:42)
Tonight at Epic Jv (middle school group) I shared Ephesians 5:15-17 with kids..."So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do."
Today, as I read Matthew 24, I was reminded about the need to live thoughtfully. We should think carefully about our choices. We should not live life just hoping for the best. We should have a plan. We should think about each day before it happens. My fear, as i work with my middle school students, is that too many of them aren't thinking about life. They don't have a plan for each day. Heck, most adults don't take a careful look at their life and their choices.
How often do I run headlong into life without a thought or a plan...and then wonder why things don't work out.
I want to live a life of purpose and meaning. I want to live a life of joy and peace but it will not happen by accident.
It takes thought, understanding, and effort. I want to make the most of each day by living the life I was created to live and be the man God made me to be.
I like to think I am on the right track...but I need to stay close to the one who gave me His all...
So that when He comes back He might find me doing all the right things.
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