God in a box

We love gadgets. We love seeing that delivery truck pull up in front of the house, and eagerly hop down the stairs to answer the door. When inside, the box is immediately ripped open and whatever was contained inside is put to quick use. Many times, when we begin using the new product, if it’s a good one that is, we discover many features we never knew it had! Sometimes, things turn out to be even better than we had anticipated.

The same is definitely true with God, he is infinitely better than we anticipate. But, we still try to keep God in a “God Box” and think of him in terms of the nifty features he comes with. In reality he wants us to let him come bursting out of the box and show us how much more he is. God did this with the shepherds. He told them they would find a baby, who would save the world, wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a feed trough. That is thinking outside the box. More than likely, they had a “God Box” with the savior being a military dictator. But, God burst that paradigm and displayed his mercy and compassion. When he got out of their box, he showed them that he is a God who reaches out to those who nobody else wants to. Shepherds weren’t considered the most moral. In fact, they didn’t often go to church because sheep needed to be constantly tended, and they couldn’t even testify in court. Yet, they were the first to hear the good news of the Savior’s birth.

As you read your Bible, don’t let your preconceived notions of who God is interpret what you read. Instead, let scripture and the Holy Spirit guide you in the characteristics of God. Let God break out of his box in your life today and show you who he really is. Remember, his thoughts and ways are not ours (Isaiah 55:8).

A Tuesday (Or whatever day) Prayer

Lord, for many the circumstances in life are so uncertain.  The solutions to our problems can be very perplexing and seem beyond our grasp.  There are many things about tomorrow that we don’t seem to understand.   But we know Who holds tomorrow, and we do know Who holds our hand.* Thank you, God, that You don’t expect us to have all the right answers or to fully understand all that concerns us.  You simply want us to trust You as we hold on to Your unchanging hand while You go before us making our paths straight.  Grant us the grace to trust You more.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Here’s a story that will make your head spin. A Pastor asking Non-Active Church members to leave

OK, I’ve never heard of this one, but please read the story of a Pastor who asked his Church members to either become more active, or to leave the Church. What do you think of the story below?

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WINSTON-SALEM — Julie and Bob Clark were stunned to receive a letter from their church in July asking them to “participate in the life of the church” — or worship elsewhere.

“They basically called us freeloaders,” says Julie.

“We were freeloaders,” says Bob.

In a trend that may signal rough times for wallflower Christians, bellwether mega-church Faith Community of Winston-Salem has asked “non-participating members” to stop attending.

“No more Mr. Nice Church,” says the executive pastor, newly hired from Cingular Wireless. “Bigger is not always better. Providing free services indefinitely to complacent Christians is not our mission.”

“Freeloading” Christians were straining the church’s nursery and facility resources and harming the church’s ability to reach the lost, says the pastor.

“When your bottom line is saving souls, you get impatient with people who interfere with that goal,” he says.

Faith Community sent polite but firm letters to families who attend church services and “freebie events” but never volunteer, never tithe and do not belong to a small group or other ministry. The church estimates that of its 8,000 regular attendees, only half have volunteered in the past 3 years, and a third have never given to the church.

“Before now, we made people feel comfortable and welcome, and tried to coax them to give a little something in return,” says a staff member. “That’s changed. We’re done being the community nanny.”

Surprisingly, the move to dis-invite people has drawn positive response from men in the community who like the idea of an in-your-face church.

“I thought, ‘A church that doesn’t allow wussies — that rocks,’” says Bob Clark, who admires the church more since they told him to get lost.

He and Julie are now tithing and volunteering. “We’ve taken our place in church life,” he says. •

Judgement or forgiveness?

Let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or ob-stacle in the way of a brother or sister.—Romans 14:13

To people outside the faith, Christians often seem like hypocrites who look on the rest of the world in condemnation. We are seen as critical and self-righteous. And sometimes it’s true. Sometimes our rejection and derision make Christ look bad. We condemn those who have heard only judgment and long for grace. We disapprove of people who have made poor life choices. We wish common sense were a little more common. Our impatience with others for whom Christ died shows how much we need him too.

Sometimes we have been hurt, and our hearts cry out for justice. We want to take judgment into our own hands. Part of forgiveness involves allowing God to take care of justice. We may need good boundaries with those who are still broken, and God ordained civil authorities to restrain crime—but God alone is the judge.

Practically speaking, looking scornfully at our neighbor makes it difficult to share our witness. If we Christians shared the truth of how we have fallen down, the world might receive us better. Admitting our brokenness would allow Jesus’ restoration to shine brighter. If we approached each other as fellow sinners pointing the way to be forgiven, maybe more sinners would follow Christ.

How can you show grace today?

Prayer:

Lord, forgive us for judging one another. Teach us how to share our brokenness and to point others to Christ. Amen.

The Bible…how much, and why do you read it?

Did you know the Bible is the most popular book in the world? Even though it’s the most popular, I cann assure you that it’s the least read, and this is the thing that I just don’t understand. Not reading the Bible is like saying you’re going to cook something new without the recipie. It’s like going to a new destination without a map. It’s like trying to live a Spirit filled life without the Spirit. It just doesn’t work.

Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?- Jeremiah 23:29

What is needed for the cold spirit and the hard heart? A consuming fire and a hard-hitting hammer. And that is exactly what God says that his Word is.

Perhaps you have experienced the warming radiance and the resistance-shattering power of God’s Word. When it is preached, when it is read, when it is sung it is nothing less than the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.

Recognizing this kinetic energy that is contained in the pages of God’s Word, do you take full advantage of this spiritual weapon? Do you strap it on before every battle? Do you ignite your heart with it daily? Do you read it to your children? Do you share it with your friends? Is it your answer to life’s problems, your retreat when you are under attack, your offense against Satan‘s dominion?

When the Word of God comes with the Spirit of God to the hearts of God’s people, there is unspeakable, other-worldly power at work. It is an uncontrollable spiritual fire, it is a perfectly weighted hammer in the hand of the great Sculptor. May it defend you today, may it inspire you today, may it engulf you today, may it shape you today.

Are you more concerned about money, or your soul?`This is a great read I ran across.

Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also- Matthew 6:21

How you handle money reveals a lot about your spiritual condition. If your treasure is on earth and you are focused on accumulating more and more material things, it is evident there is a heart problem.

It is easy to be influenced by the world and therefore think like the world thinks. The prevalent attitude is, “this is my money, my house, my car; I can do with it what I please.” But you need to embrace a basic biblical truth and that is that God owns everything: “the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof: the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1).

This truth should change your whole perspective. Everything that you have belongs to God and He is blessing you to enjoy it. In fact, if you are His child, you belong to him in a special way. Paul writes that you are not your own for you are bought with a price. Our body belongs to the Lord. Our mind belongs to Him, our time belongs to him, and certainly all that we possess really belongs to him.

While in most cases it is through work that we receive what we need to sustain us, it is God who gives us the power to get wealth. So as he provides a job and gives you the mind and body capable of doing what is required on the job, you must give thanks for what he has provided. You then should be a faithful steward of all with which you have been entrusted.

If you are a good steward, you will not live above your means, incur debts you cannot pay, or waste the resources you have been blessed to accumulate. Recognizing your role as a steward — a manager of what God has given you — will not deprive you of liberty, but will keep you from being enslaved by the love of money. If fact you will become a generous giver and find a great joy in knowing that God loves a cheerful giver.

Carijng about what happens to others, the lost art.

Have you ever confided in someone about what’s troubling you only to have them turn and walk away like they could care less? Have you ever heard someone tell you their troubles and realized later that you inadvertantly dismissed them and just walked away witout even trying to be there for them? If either of these things have happened to you, you’re in the company of a lot of modern-day Christians. The act of carrying each others burdens is vanishing from out lives today, and it’s getting serious.

From a young age, children struggle to be independent: “I can do it myself!” We idolize independence and self-sufficiency. We value people who can “pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.” We pride ourselves in being “better” than others around us.

But Christ has a different idea about how we should interact with one another. We should be caring for one another and involved in each other’s lives.

This way of being connected means we care enough about our neighbors to find out what burdens they carry. In communities where we may not even know the names of our neighbors, God nudges us to hear the concerns of their hearts. Do you know about the struggles of others around you? Just caring enough to ask is a good first step. But I still think that a listening ear is the best way to begin carrying a burden together. GReal concern is a healer.

A next step may be prayer. Everyone needs prayer, and few people refuse an offer to be prayed for, even if they have little faith of their own. Pray over one another and lift each other up before God!

And maybe you can lift a burden by lending a helping hand or an act of service. Or maybe you’re the one in need. Can you, in Christ’s name, allow others to serve you?

Christ’s law is fulfilled when we can reach out with genuine compassion and care for each other.

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
—Galatians 6:2

Prayer:

Lord, help us to care for each other. May we show your love and lift others up in prayer. Amen.

Mental illness. It’s real, and needs to be addressed. A Godly look at this taboo subject.

Today I got an email from Pastor Rick Warren of Saddlebck Church, and the purpose driven life. He let us know that His son, Matthew, age 27, took his own life. It absolutely breaks my heart to see something like this happen. It pains me to see people who are victims of mental illness and depression go through what must be torture as they face their daily lives. It’s more common than you think, and believe me when I tell you that it’s a very taboo subject within the Christian realm.

I once talked to a Christian professional in the medical field and asked her if mental illness was a demonic thing, or a “real” illness. She explained it like this, “It can be both, but most people don’t want to think that it can be physical because they don’t understand what mental illness is in most cases.” She went on to explain that most cases of a mental disease are a result of chemical imbalances in the brain, and can be treated just as easily and appropriately as diabetis. So why then are we so afraid to talk about and deal more with people who are struggling with this affliction within the church?

I suppose that when we see someone who is suffering with a mental disorder, we may see our own weaknesses and want to shy away from them. Some people will actually go so far as to believe that the disease is a punishment for some sin the person committed. While others may believe that it’s a matter of demonic possession. The fact i, it could be any of these. But like the Bible says so often, we’re not to judge on the why’s, but we should instead focus on what we can do to help.

If you take a short look around you, I can almost assure you that you will see someone who is suffering from some form of mental illness. Don’t avoid them, pray for them. Be with them. Love them where they’re at. In many cases this is what they’re seeking more than anything. Just like Jesus as who so often went directly to the sick and lame to heal them, we should be spiritually drawn to those who suffer.

If you think you may suffer from depression or something else, I urge you to pray on it. Seek help. Don’t allow it to get to the point where you consider taking the precious life that God created, and that Jesus died for. If you know of someone who is in pain, be right next to them as they walk a very rocky path. Fair warning…walking this path with them is not easy, and it requires dedication, but it’s a must thing to do. It’s the Christlike thing to dToday I pray for all of those who are suffering on the inside. I pray for Pastor Rick Warren and all the others who have lost loved one to mental illness. I pray that we will one day be more bold in our approach to this taboo subject and be more proactive in helping others through the miracles of Jesus and prayer. Today I am broken hearted knowing how many suffer from a horrible anguish and ask that you do the same.

Psalm 103:1-22 Of David. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. …

 

Mental Illness in the Bible – you’re not alone.

Old Testament
A punishment for violating the covenant (Deuteronomy 28:28)
Feigned by David to escape capture (1 Samuel 21:13-15)
Prophets servant is thought mad (2 Kings 9:11)
Madness compared to foolish behavior (Proverbs 26:18)
Madness is the opposite of wisdom (Ecclesiastes 1:17; 7:7)
Nebuchadnezzar’s punishment (Daniel 4:32-34)

New Testament
Jesus is thought to be insane by His family (Mark 3:21; John 10:20)
Jesus heals a lunatic (Matthew 17:15)
Festus suggests that Paul is mad (Acts 26:24-25)
Believers could be thought to be mad (1 Corinthians 14:23)
Paul’s ideas so extreme as to be thought insane (2 Corinthians 11:23)

 

 

Your life’s work…do you know what it is?

Jesus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:29 ESV)

Have you ever had someone ask you what your life’s work is, or what type of work you would like to spend the rest of your life doing? That can be a difficult question, especially today, when the average worker will have had 10-14 jobs by the age of 38! We quickly move from task to task, even job to job, and often times there is little sense of continuity. But even so, Jesus’ answer to the question, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” (John 6:28), is still the same in this age of rapid change: “believe in him whom he has sent.” So the primary, overarching work of our life is believing in Jesus Christ, and walking as he walked. That is our daily agenda. So no matter what job you find yourself in, you still have your life’s work at hand, believing in him who was sent.

Is your view of Jesus high enough, realizing your life’s primary purpose is to believe and become like him?

How have you served others lately?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me- Matthew 25:40There are many of Jesus‘ instructions that we show by our actions we have not fully comprehended or considered — or even believed.He exhorts us “take no thought for tomorrow” and yet we worry ourselves to death. He promises “my yoke is easy” and yet we prefer to labor under our own. He says, “If you love me, keep my commandments” and yet we ever strive to separate the two. He warns “you cannot serve God and money” and yet we always try to join the two.

But perhaps the revelation which is most widely ignored is this: if you do anything for the least of Jesus’ brethren, it is as if you have done it to Jesus. Do you live like that is true?

Have you visited dingy, smelly nursing homes; given to foreign evangelism; reached out to broken addicts; taught your children the Bible — all as if you were doing it to Jesus? So often we hurry by the hurting faces of Jesus’ brothers and sisters because we consider them beneath us. And yet King Jesus says, “you have done it to me.”

Did you wake up this morning with the realization that today you could do something to minister directly to Jesus? Let that revelation sink in. Live like you take Jesus’ statement seriously. Help the hurting, dust the furniture, teach the Bible, give to the needy, encourage the downcast just the way you would if Jesus was the One you were encountering today. Because he is.