Leonard Ravenhill was preaching once and was talking about his time with another great man of God named A.W. Tozer. He remembered something Tozer had said, "You know Len, it's not the parts of the Bible that I don't understand that frightens me, It's the parts of the Bible that I DO understand that scares me."
I have to agree with that statement. I believe some of the scariest of all scriptures are the one we understand. Let me restate; That we THINK we understand.
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." Matthew 7:13-14
What makes me afraid is that my definition and God's definition of "Narrow" aren't the same. This scares me significantly.
It's my prayer as I follow Jesus is that he teaches me His definitions of words like, "Narrow" and "Holy" and "Righteous".
I want his definitions to be my definitions.
God, today, please stamp eternity on my eyes and let me be a light to someone. Let me do everything today so You will get the Glory. Let your definitions be my definitions.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
The Street Sweeper
This is something that has been laid on my heart lately.
"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." Colossians 3:23-24
Here is an image I created in photoshop with a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King that sums up this passage of scripture:
If the type is too small to read here is the quote.
"If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, like Shakespeare wrote poetry, like Beethoven composed music; sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will have to pause and say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper, who swept his job well.’”
I say insert your own profession within this quote. Amen and Amen
"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." Colossians 3:23-24
Here is an image I created in photoshop with a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King that sums up this passage of scripture:
If the type is too small to read here is the quote.
"If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, like Shakespeare wrote poetry, like Beethoven composed music; sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will have to pause and say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper, who swept his job well.’”
I say insert your own profession within this quote. Amen and Amen
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Heads Up!!
You could smell victory in the air! Or was that the smell of old, worn out cletes? Either way, you knew there was fun to be had by all. The softball fans came out by the dozen to cheer for their team to be victorious. More often than not you would be more likely to hear, “AWWW! That’s Ok! Good Try Anyway!!” than, “WOW! What A Play!” Not to mention the cries of agony by players who had pulled muscles and torn egos. Even so, most everyone left the fields at night with smiles.
Our church recently enjoyed another wonderful Church league softball season. It was absolutely grand to experience God’s people enjoying fellowship together. You could see and feel our church as well as other churches drawing closer together on the field, forming friendships that would last a lifetime. We were the Body of Christ, acting like the Body of Christ. When a player was injured, both teams would rush to the injured player’s aid. Once the player was up, everyone would applaud as the player left the field. Simply, beautiful.
Of all the things that could have happened at a Church League Softball game that would put me in a place where God could get my attention, it was the simplest of all things. A foul tipped ball. The batter approached the plate, hit their cletes with their bat, waited for the pitch, and just then... Swing! Ding! Foul tip... It was then that something, I believe, miraculous happened. As the ball sailed up and over the fence toward the crowd, everyone who was paying attention screamed in unison with one mind and one accord, “HEADS UP!!” As everyone screamed this, the crowd would promptly disperse from their location with great haste. Head ducked, Hands up for shelter of the impending doom. I watched all this unfold one afternoon and I felt God speak directly to my heart, “This is My church doing what My church is supposed to do.” Honestly, this hit me like a ton of bricks and made me a little weak kneed. What was God trying to tell me? Were we supposed to be courteous to spectators of softball games so they won’t receive a nasty pop knot? Or did it go deeper.
Well, as with everything else with God, it did indeed go deeper. After receiving this, I went back to God’s word(the Bible) to help me figure out what He was trying to say. What I found disturbed me. In the book of Luke Jesus was telling us about when certain things begin to happen we need to get ready because he was returning for His church. He instructed His church by saying, “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Did you get that? Jesus himself was telling us, “HEADS UP!” But it doesn’t stop there. He didn’t tell us this just for our benefit but as a lesson that we need to tell others the same thing. Think of it this way, at a softball game when a ball is foul tipped, what if everyone just sat there silent and watched the ball knock out some unsuspecting soul. We would think to ourselves, “Well if we are just really quiet and be really friendly to them, they may see that the ball is coming on their own and get out of the way”, or “Well, they should have seen it coming... They should have been paying attention!” That’s just silly, isn’t it? But that’s how we are as a church. There is a REALLY, REALLY BIG SOFTBALL on it’s way to the crowd and those who are paying attention aren’t saying “HEADS UP!!”
Who’s fault is it when this happens? Is it the fault of the person not watching or the person who fails to warn the people? I believe it’s our fault. When the “really big softball”(The Rapture) lands and millions are destroyed, do you really think Jesus is going to stand there and say, “well done, thou good and faithful servant” or do you think He will say, “I sent you to tell those people, ‘heads up’ and you didn’t... depart from me...” I, for one, want to be the one who shouts as loud as I can, “HEADS UP!!!!”
Our church recently enjoyed another wonderful Church league softball season. It was absolutely grand to experience God’s people enjoying fellowship together. You could see and feel our church as well as other churches drawing closer together on the field, forming friendships that would last a lifetime. We were the Body of Christ, acting like the Body of Christ. When a player was injured, both teams would rush to the injured player’s aid. Once the player was up, everyone would applaud as the player left the field. Simply, beautiful.
Of all the things that could have happened at a Church League Softball game that would put me in a place where God could get my attention, it was the simplest of all things. A foul tipped ball. The batter approached the plate, hit their cletes with their bat, waited for the pitch, and just then... Swing! Ding! Foul tip... It was then that something, I believe, miraculous happened. As the ball sailed up and over the fence toward the crowd, everyone who was paying attention screamed in unison with one mind and one accord, “HEADS UP!!” As everyone screamed this, the crowd would promptly disperse from their location with great haste. Head ducked, Hands up for shelter of the impending doom. I watched all this unfold one afternoon and I felt God speak directly to my heart, “This is My church doing what My church is supposed to do.” Honestly, this hit me like a ton of bricks and made me a little weak kneed. What was God trying to tell me? Were we supposed to be courteous to spectators of softball games so they won’t receive a nasty pop knot? Or did it go deeper.
Well, as with everything else with God, it did indeed go deeper. After receiving this, I went back to God’s word(the Bible) to help me figure out what He was trying to say. What I found disturbed me. In the book of Luke Jesus was telling us about when certain things begin to happen we need to get ready because he was returning for His church. He instructed His church by saying, “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Did you get that? Jesus himself was telling us, “HEADS UP!” But it doesn’t stop there. He didn’t tell us this just for our benefit but as a lesson that we need to tell others the same thing. Think of it this way, at a softball game when a ball is foul tipped, what if everyone just sat there silent and watched the ball knock out some unsuspecting soul. We would think to ourselves, “Well if we are just really quiet and be really friendly to them, they may see that the ball is coming on their own and get out of the way”, or “Well, they should have seen it coming... They should have been paying attention!” That’s just silly, isn’t it? But that’s how we are as a church. There is a REALLY, REALLY BIG SOFTBALL on it’s way to the crowd and those who are paying attention aren’t saying “HEADS UP!!”
Who’s fault is it when this happens? Is it the fault of the person not watching or the person who fails to warn the people? I believe it’s our fault. When the “really big softball”(The Rapture) lands and millions are destroyed, do you really think Jesus is going to stand there and say, “well done, thou good and faithful servant” or do you think He will say, “I sent you to tell those people, ‘heads up’ and you didn’t... depart from me...” I, for one, want to be the one who shouts as loud as I can, “HEADS UP!!!!”
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
There's Trash Under My Pew!!!!
Oh my goodness! I recently took a good long look at the floor underneath our pew at church. If you are a regular church goer then you have your own pew. You know how it is, right? What I found was both startling and disturbing.
I have a family of 5. 1 wife - 3 daughters. There was so much trash under our pew! Just a few of the items were: candy wrappers, cough drop wrappers, Sunday School Paperwork, a chewed fingernail(mine), etc. etc. It was horrendous! It took so long to clean up after service that I missed out on visiting with our friends and church family. I left church kind of frustrated.
Then I started thinking...
Recently my family made up our minds to keep our house clean. Glory to God our house has stayed clean for over 2 months now! Here is the thing, we kept our house clean by making minor adjustments. Minor adjustments is how you keep a house clean. Not by letting stuff pile up and then having 15 "spring cleanings" per month, but by picking one small thing up when it's left out.
It's the same situation under my pew. I will keep it clean by making minor adjustments. I will pick up just that one stray wrapper, then it will stay clean all the time.
"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."1Corinthians 6:19-20
My question to you, dear reader, is what is under your pew? What is it that is keeping you away from friends or relatives or Jesus or His gifts that He longs to give you? Is there something piling up under your pew that you are spending all of your time trying to keep picked up?
If you keep your pew clean from gossip, grudges, grieving, hate, etc. then you will have more time in your life to enjoy other things that God has in store for you. If you are spending all of your time on the trash under your pew, your missing out. Minor adjustments is all it takes.
I have a family of 5. 1 wife - 3 daughters. There was so much trash under our pew! Just a few of the items were: candy wrappers, cough drop wrappers, Sunday School Paperwork, a chewed fingernail(mine), etc. etc. It was horrendous! It took so long to clean up after service that I missed out on visiting with our friends and church family. I left church kind of frustrated.
Then I started thinking...
Recently my family made up our minds to keep our house clean. Glory to God our house has stayed clean for over 2 months now! Here is the thing, we kept our house clean by making minor adjustments. Minor adjustments is how you keep a house clean. Not by letting stuff pile up and then having 15 "spring cleanings" per month, but by picking one small thing up when it's left out.
It's the same situation under my pew. I will keep it clean by making minor adjustments. I will pick up just that one stray wrapper, then it will stay clean all the time.
"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."1Corinthians 6:19-20
My question to you, dear reader, is what is under your pew? What is it that is keeping you away from friends or relatives or Jesus or His gifts that He longs to give you? Is there something piling up under your pew that you are spending all of your time trying to keep picked up?
If you keep your pew clean from gossip, grudges, grieving, hate, etc. then you will have more time in your life to enjoy other things that God has in store for you. If you are spending all of your time on the trash under your pew, your missing out. Minor adjustments is all it takes.
Monday, August 11, 2008
The footsteps
My dad took me hunting a lot when I was a boy. As we would walk through the woods he would instruct me to, "Step exactly where I'm stepping. DO NOT get out of my steps because I know where I am going. If you don't stay in my footsteps, you might get bitten by a snake or fall in a hole and break your leg..." Good advice.
Well, like I said before, I was a boy and I wandered... When my dad caught me "wandering" out of his footsteps he would ummmm, instruct me again, except this time with "extreme prejudice". Once the pain went away, I realized that, even though it hurt (REALLY BAD) I never once doubted his love for me. It didn't even enter my head. My dad loved me that's why he did what he did. He wanted to teach me to walk the way he walked so I wouldn't get hurt.
Now look at this passage:
Luk 11:37 Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee *asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in, and reclined at the table.
Luk 11:38 When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed before the meal.
Luk 11:39 But the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness.
Luk 11:40 "You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also?
Luk 11:41 "But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you.
Luk 11:42 "But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.
Luk 11:43 "Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places.
Luk 11:44 "Woe to you! For you are like concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it."
And then in another gospel it's recorded that Jesus told them that, "Mat 23:15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte(convert); and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves."
He called the "Church Folks" of that period "Sons of Hell" Wow... Jesus really had a way with words. And from reading this you would think he was condemning these "church folks". That couldn't be further from the truth. He, like my dad, was instructing with "extreme prejudice".
My second favorite scripture is John 3:17, not 16 but 17,"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
He was trying to show the pharisees that they had strayed and that they need to get back in His footsteps. As much as it hurt them, they still needed to hear it. He wasn't condemning! He was teaching.
I know when the Holy Spirit of the Lord scolds me and convicts my spirit of something; it's then that I realize that He loves me enough to want me to succeed. Which is what He wants for all of His children. We just need to stay in His footsteps.
Well, like I said before, I was a boy and I wandered... When my dad caught me "wandering" out of his footsteps he would ummmm, instruct me again, except this time with "extreme prejudice". Once the pain went away, I realized that, even though it hurt (REALLY BAD) I never once doubted his love for me. It didn't even enter my head. My dad loved me that's why he did what he did. He wanted to teach me to walk the way he walked so I wouldn't get hurt.
Now look at this passage:
Luk 11:37 Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee *asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in, and reclined at the table.
Luk 11:38 When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed before the meal.
Luk 11:39 But the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness.
Luk 11:40 "You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also?
Luk 11:41 "But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you.
Luk 11:42 "But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.
Luk 11:43 "Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places.
Luk 11:44 "Woe to you! For you are like concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it."
And then in another gospel it's recorded that Jesus told them that, "Mat 23:15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte(convert); and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves."
He called the "Church Folks" of that period "Sons of Hell" Wow... Jesus really had a way with words. And from reading this you would think he was condemning these "church folks". That couldn't be further from the truth. He, like my dad, was instructing with "extreme prejudice".
My second favorite scripture is John 3:17, not 16 but 17,"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
He was trying to show the pharisees that they had strayed and that they need to get back in His footsteps. As much as it hurt them, they still needed to hear it. He wasn't condemning! He was teaching.
I know when the Holy Spirit of the Lord scolds me and convicts my spirit of something; it's then that I realize that He loves me enough to want me to succeed. Which is what He wants for all of His children. We just need to stay in His footsteps.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
So Deeply Hidden...
I heard or read this somewhere yesterday and it has weighed heavily on me ever since. Just meditate on it for a few minutes and let it sink in.
This is the way the quote goes, " If you are a Christian (a true Christian) then you should be so deeply hidden in Christ that to find you, one would have to seek Him first"
Wow! Think about that! If somebody wanted to find you they would have to first seek Jesus just to find you!
That's exactly where I want to be found. So deeply hidden in Jesus.
This is the way the quote goes, " If you are a Christian (a true Christian) then you should be so deeply hidden in Christ that to find you, one would have to seek Him first"
Wow! Think about that! If somebody wanted to find you they would have to first seek Jesus just to find you!
That's exactly where I want to be found. So deeply hidden in Jesus.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
The Introduction of Jesus
This is awesome! Every church service I believe needs to be started in this same fashion.
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