I really enjoy watching the Winter Olympics. The intensity, courage and all out effort by the athletes to be the very best they can be is compelling drama. In the speed races-especially the short speed races, the start is important. A racer must get up to speed quickly. Just and perhaps more important, however, is the way the athlete finishes the race or, in the case of figure skaters and snowboarders, their programs. Let me give you some examples. After a figure skater fell doing an attempted jump, the commentators noted that the energy in the program disappeared and that the skater was just going through the motions. He knew he would not get a medal and that disappointment affected his finish. Then there was the women’s downhill where three skiers were performing well until they reached the last big jump. They had skied almost flawlessly and only had one hurdle to go. All three fell on the landing and travelled toward the finish line on their bottom instead of on their skis. But for me one of the most exciting failures to finish was in the 1500 meter short track speed skating race. Short track speed skaters have to be half crazy to speed around the track only inches from an opponent knowing that almost any contact will spin that skater into the padded walls on the outside of the track. It is exciting and highly competitive with only hundreds of a second separating the contestants. In the 1500 race, the American team was led by Apolo Ohno, one of the greatest speed racers in the world. As the race approached the final turn, three skaters from Korea led the race. Ohno and American J.R. Celski stood fourth and fifth. Coming around the final turn, the Korean in third place attempted a pass but clipped the 2nd place Korean’s skate. In a blink of an eye both Koreans spun off the track and into the side walls and Ohno and Celski captured the silver and bronze medals. The two South Koreans did not finish well. On the other hand, the Americans could have quit. They could have thought “there are just a few feet to go and there is no way that I am going to medal in this race. I will just slow up, be safe and save myself for other races.” But instead they continued giving their best until the end and were rewarded with a silver and bronze medal. My final example of “finishing well” is snowboarder Shaun White. Talk about crazy! He and other snowboarders in the half pipe event do amazing twists and spins after propelling themselves 30 feet or more in the air and then, hopefully land on their feet so they can do it again a second or two later. For those who may not know about the half pipe competition, there are two opportunities or “runs” and the competitors chose their highest score from their two runs. The snowboarder with the highest score from either run wins. Shaun White is far and away the best half pipe competitor in the world. He gets higher and does more twists and turns in the air than do his competitors. A perfect score from the judges is 50. On his first run he scored 46.8. No one else in either run came close. Because he finished the first run in the lead, he was the last competitor scheduled to compete on the second run. By the time it was his turn to do his second run he had already won the gold medal. He did not even have to do a second run. He might have thought: “Why should I do this? I could get hurt and suffer a career ending injury. I have already accomplished everything I have come here to do.” Instead he did his second run, added a move no one else in the world can do, and achieved a score of 48.4. He finished very well!
I think the Apostle Paul must have liked sports as well because he often used track and field examples to describe the Christian life. In 1 Corinthians 9:24 Paul wrote “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one received the prize? So run that you may obtain it.” To Timothy he wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7). Paul would have been familiar with the Olympics which were held every four years during his lifetime in the Greek city of Olympia. I had the good fortune to travel to Olympia last summer and to see the track where those ancient Olympians ran. Interestingly, they had a wall of shame for athletes who had cheated in trying to win their Olympic events. They DID NOT finish well. Paul, at the end of his life, was able to say he finished well. I can think of no greater compliment for a Christian whose body is being laid to rest than to say he or she finished well. The Bible gives a wonderful example of someone who finished well in describing the death of Stephen. While he was being stoned Stephen fell on his knees and cried out “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Acts 7: 59-60) Even in death, Stephen was praying for those who had mistreated him.
I regularly remind our seniors that we never get too old to serve the Lord and of the importance of finishing well. Even if we do not get a great start, we can choose to finish well. As long as we have breath there is something we can do in the Lord’s work. God doesn’t call us to overflow His love for a week, month or year. He calls us to overflow for a lifetime. Our overflow should not stop when we are 50, 60 or even 90 years of age. It should not stop when we hurt. It should not stop when we lose a loved one. It should not stop when we are tired and seemingly can’t go on. It should not stop when we are told we have cancer. It should not stop when we learn we have a terminal medical condition. In fact it is in these times that God’s love can show through us even more than in the good times. As Hebrews 12:1 reminds us,” let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. “ Overflow to the end and finish well.
Praying to finish well,
Paul Marth
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Yielding
I recently had to renew my driver’s license. All I had to do was to take the eye exam and identify the various road signs. It was easy enough since they provide you with a pamphlet of the signs to study and they also provide you with a considerable time to wait! What do you do while you wait? You study the signs!
It’s interesting the difference between the signs you study on the pamphlet and the signs they show you on the test. On the pamphlet the signs have words and symbols that help you identify them. On the test the words and symbols on some of the signs are missing! I missed one of these signs. I called it a warning sign. The tester told me it was a school crossing sign. After I finished (and passed!) the test I looked at the pamphlet and discovered that a school crossing sign and a school zone sign without the symbols look exactly alike! I wanted to go back and ask the tester how she knew it was a school crossing sign and not a school zone sign since without the pictures you can’t tell the difference! I mean, she could have been wrong! However, better judgment prevailed and I was happy to leave with my new driver’s license.
One sign, that was also missing words, was easy for me to identify. It was the YIELD sign. It has a distinctive shape and color. Yield means to concede to or give right-of-way. It is a warning sign that is designed to help keep us out of trouble. Depending on whom we yield to can determine if we avoid trouble or invite it!
God gave Cain a warning sign that instructed him to yield to what is right rather than how he felt. Either choice required him to yield, to sin or to God. Our choices put us in a position of yielding as well, either to sin or to God. Peter wrote, “…for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.” Whatever we yield to is our master. Paul wrote, “Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey-- whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” (Rom 6:16-18NIV)
Make certain that you can identify and read the signs correctly so you yield properly! You’ll never go wrong by choosing obedience to God’s word!
Drive safely!
Larry
It’s interesting the difference between the signs you study on the pamphlet and the signs they show you on the test. On the pamphlet the signs have words and symbols that help you identify them. On the test the words and symbols on some of the signs are missing! I missed one of these signs. I called it a warning sign. The tester told me it was a school crossing sign. After I finished (and passed!) the test I looked at the pamphlet and discovered that a school crossing sign and a school zone sign without the symbols look exactly alike! I wanted to go back and ask the tester how she knew it was a school crossing sign and not a school zone sign since without the pictures you can’t tell the difference! I mean, she could have been wrong! However, better judgment prevailed and I was happy to leave with my new driver’s license.
One sign, that was also missing words, was easy for me to identify. It was the YIELD sign. It has a distinctive shape and color. Yield means to concede to or give right-of-way. It is a warning sign that is designed to help keep us out of trouble. Depending on whom we yield to can determine if we avoid trouble or invite it!
God gave Cain a warning sign that instructed him to yield to what is right rather than how he felt. Either choice required him to yield, to sin or to God. Our choices put us in a position of yielding as well, either to sin or to God. Peter wrote, “…for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.” Whatever we yield to is our master. Paul wrote, “Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey-- whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” (Rom 6:16-18NIV)
Make certain that you can identify and read the signs correctly so you yield properly! You’ll never go wrong by choosing obedience to God’s word!
Drive safely!
Larry
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
An Overflow of Worth
So far we've discussed three main arguments for building a case for the existence of the Christian God. We've looked at the Kalam Cosmological Argument, the Moral Argument, and the Teleological Argument, or the argument from design. To wrap up this discussion, I'd like to briefly share one more argument for the existence of God that is, in fact, my favorite argument. It comes from Thomas Aquinas' Third Way, and it's known as the Vertical Cosmological Argument. While the Kalam Cosmological Argument argues for a Beginner of the universe, the vertical form of this argument argues for a here and now sustaining cause of the universe. Space, nor the extent of my knowledge, permit a thorough examination of this argument, but I ask that you take a few moments to think through these points and see if your view of God and your worship of Him is not affected. Let's get started.
I think we can all agree that something exists. We at least know that we exist, for we would have to exist in order to deny our own existence. That, of course, would be a contradiction. So we know something exists. Now let's think about the existence of something simple. Think about a triangle. How would you define what a triangle is? Let's say it's a three-sided geometric figure. If we destroyed all the triangles in the universe, would that do anything to change what a triangle is? Of course not. A triangle's definition, or its "essence," would still be the same. That means that existence is not part of what a triangle IS, but something a triangle HAS. That means that triangles, like you and me, are contingent. They exist, but they could possibly not exist. In other words, their existence is not "necessary." It's similar to a unicorn. We know that a unicorn is a horse with a horn. But they don't actually exist. If existence were part of what a unicorn IS, or part of its essence, then we would define a unicorn as a horse with a horn THAT EXISTS. Do you see the difference? So WHAT something is, its essence, and THAT something is, its existence, are not necessarily the same thing.
The fact that we ACTUALLY exist, but could POTENTIALLY not exist, means that we cannot account for our own existence. Something that doesn't exist necessarily cannot create itself. Logic plainly tells us this. In order for something to give itself existence, or create itself in other words, it must already exist, which is an obvious contradiction. Hopefully it's clear at this point that we are relying on something else to give us existence. Perhaps your thinking, "My parents gave me existence." Are your parents really the ultimate cause of your existence? Think about it. If your parents cease to exist, would you? Of course not. But a contingent being is always a contingent being, and is therefore always relying on something else for its existence. So your parents are not the ultimate cause of your existence. In fact, based on our current knowledge, everything in the universe is contingent, or could possibly not exist. Therefore, the entire universe is dependent on something else for its existence. But just like our parents are not the ultimate cause of our existence, we can't just posit another contingent being as the cause of the universe. If we do, we continue to push the problem back a step forever and never reach an initial cause. This is a philosophical impossibility.
So what type of being must be the cause of all contingent beings? As we just saw, it couldn't be just another contingent being. But there are only two types of being, contingent (i.e. unnecessary) and necessary. So the cause of the universe must be a necessary being, an uncaused cause. What does this mean? Well, if a contingent being's essence (think "WHATness") and existence (think "ISness") are different, then a necessary beings essence and existence are the same thing! A necessary being IS existence. In other words, its definition would include "and exists." So a necessary being cannot not exist. It must exist. It has no potential not to exist. It is what it is in a necessary way. In philosophical terms, a necessary being is pure ACTUALITY, pure existence. Our essence limits us to what type of existence we have. That's why we are humans and not trees, and rocks are rocks and not dogs. But a necessary being's essence and existence are the same thing. So a necessary being is UNLIMITED.
This may sound confusing, but it is, in fact, very profound. Think about it. What would be true of an unlimited being in regards to power, or presence, or knowledge? It would be all-powerful, everywhere-present, all-knowing. Is this beginning to sound familiar? This necessary being must be eternal, all-good, the ultimate basis for all that exists, and is ultimate Worth. Whatever is of ultimate worth is worthy of all worth-ship or worship. And whatever has all of these qualities is appropriately called God.
I apologize for the length of this post, but I do hope you appreciate the profundity of this reasoning. Without quoting a single Bible verse, we've shown a very profound reason for believing in God. But, the most profound thing to me is how this reasoning lines up precisely with God's self-revelation in scripture. As a necessary being who's very essence is existence, God says His name is "I AM" in Ex. 3:14. As the necessary being who is the ultimate here-and-now cause of our existence, God revealed to Paul in Col. 1:16-17, "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." As Paul said in Acts 17:28, "For in him we live and move and have our being." Truly He is worthy of our worship as the ultimate source of an overflow of worth.
For further reading on this subject, please visit these great resources:
Sound Rezn (Alex McFarland's radio show) blog
Professor Doug Beaumont's page
For His glory,
Adam Tucker
I think we can all agree that something exists. We at least know that we exist, for we would have to exist in order to deny our own existence. That, of course, would be a contradiction. So we know something exists. Now let's think about the existence of something simple. Think about a triangle. How would you define what a triangle is? Let's say it's a three-sided geometric figure. If we destroyed all the triangles in the universe, would that do anything to change what a triangle is? Of course not. A triangle's definition, or its "essence," would still be the same. That means that existence is not part of what a triangle IS, but something a triangle HAS. That means that triangles, like you and me, are contingent. They exist, but they could possibly not exist. In other words, their existence is not "necessary." It's similar to a unicorn. We know that a unicorn is a horse with a horn. But they don't actually exist. If existence were part of what a unicorn IS, or part of its essence, then we would define a unicorn as a horse with a horn THAT EXISTS. Do you see the difference? So WHAT something is, its essence, and THAT something is, its existence, are not necessarily the same thing.
The fact that we ACTUALLY exist, but could POTENTIALLY not exist, means that we cannot account for our own existence. Something that doesn't exist necessarily cannot create itself. Logic plainly tells us this. In order for something to give itself existence, or create itself in other words, it must already exist, which is an obvious contradiction. Hopefully it's clear at this point that we are relying on something else to give us existence. Perhaps your thinking, "My parents gave me existence." Are your parents really the ultimate cause of your existence? Think about it. If your parents cease to exist, would you? Of course not. But a contingent being is always a contingent being, and is therefore always relying on something else for its existence. So your parents are not the ultimate cause of your existence. In fact, based on our current knowledge, everything in the universe is contingent, or could possibly not exist. Therefore, the entire universe is dependent on something else for its existence. But just like our parents are not the ultimate cause of our existence, we can't just posit another contingent being as the cause of the universe. If we do, we continue to push the problem back a step forever and never reach an initial cause. This is a philosophical impossibility.
So what type of being must be the cause of all contingent beings? As we just saw, it couldn't be just another contingent being. But there are only two types of being, contingent (i.e. unnecessary) and necessary. So the cause of the universe must be a necessary being, an uncaused cause. What does this mean? Well, if a contingent being's essence (think "WHATness") and existence (think "ISness") are different, then a necessary beings essence and existence are the same thing! A necessary being IS existence. In other words, its definition would include "and exists." So a necessary being cannot not exist. It must exist. It has no potential not to exist. It is what it is in a necessary way. In philosophical terms, a necessary being is pure ACTUALITY, pure existence. Our essence limits us to what type of existence we have. That's why we are humans and not trees, and rocks are rocks and not dogs. But a necessary being's essence and existence are the same thing. So a necessary being is UNLIMITED.
This may sound confusing, but it is, in fact, very profound. Think about it. What would be true of an unlimited being in regards to power, or presence, or knowledge? It would be all-powerful, everywhere-present, all-knowing. Is this beginning to sound familiar? This necessary being must be eternal, all-good, the ultimate basis for all that exists, and is ultimate Worth. Whatever is of ultimate worth is worthy of all worth-ship or worship. And whatever has all of these qualities is appropriately called God.
I apologize for the length of this post, but I do hope you appreciate the profundity of this reasoning. Without quoting a single Bible verse, we've shown a very profound reason for believing in God. But, the most profound thing to me is how this reasoning lines up precisely with God's self-revelation in scripture. As a necessary being who's very essence is existence, God says His name is "I AM" in Ex. 3:14. As the necessary being who is the ultimate here-and-now cause of our existence, God revealed to Paul in Col. 1:16-17, "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." As Paul said in Acts 17:28, "For in him we live and move and have our being." Truly He is worthy of our worship as the ultimate source of an overflow of worth.
For further reading on this subject, please visit these great resources:
Sound Rezn (Alex McFarland's radio show) blog
Professor Doug Beaumont's page
For His glory,
Adam Tucker
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Overflowing His NAME
King David wrote Psalms chapter 8 and in it he used one of my favorite words in the Bible. This word is one of the smallest words in Scripture yet it carries great weight! David says, “O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth; Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!” ‘O,’ what a small word, often overlooked and ignored but to those who run right over it, what a great injustice you are doing to the Bible. Before you can understand the word, ‘O,’ you need to understand the word, ‘LORD.’
The Jews in that day had such a fear and reverence for God that they would not speak His personal name for fear they might say it wrong. They were not even worthy to utter such a Holy name. (That is a far cry from the trash filled entertainment world we live in today!) In Scripture, when you find the word LORD written in all capital letters, you know that the author is writing the proper or personal name of God. Imagine not just calling Him "Father" or "Sir" or "King of Kings," but you call Him by His first name! How paralyzing that thought is in light of His holiness; how shaming that thought is in light of how carelessly we speak His name.
So when king David writes "O LORD, our Lord…" he is speaking to God directly and he is going to Him in utmost reverence. Yet why does he add on the little word? What is the difference in LORD and O LORD? Webster’s dictionary says that the word, ‘O’ is an intensifier. It is added before a word so as to draw on the greatness of it. When the next word is LORD, just imagine the monumental, no, the OVERFLOWING grandeur that the author was trying to convey! “O LORD, my Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!!!!!!!!!!" I get chill bumps thinking about it! David goes on to say that He had set His glory above the heavens. What a great God!
It is a humbling reality to realize that we are mere mortals and God is LORD. How great is our God! Therefore let the prayer of your heart be, "O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name is all the earth; You have displayed your splendor above the heavens!"
Smile Always,
jason
The Jews in that day had such a fear and reverence for God that they would not speak His personal name for fear they might say it wrong. They were not even worthy to utter such a Holy name. (That is a far cry from the trash filled entertainment world we live in today!) In Scripture, when you find the word LORD written in all capital letters, you know that the author is writing the proper or personal name of God. Imagine not just calling Him "Father" or "Sir" or "King of Kings," but you call Him by His first name! How paralyzing that thought is in light of His holiness; how shaming that thought is in light of how carelessly we speak His name.
So when king David writes "O LORD, our Lord…" he is speaking to God directly and he is going to Him in utmost reverence. Yet why does he add on the little word? What is the difference in LORD and O LORD? Webster’s dictionary says that the word, ‘O’ is an intensifier. It is added before a word so as to draw on the greatness of it. When the next word is LORD, just imagine the monumental, no, the OVERFLOWING grandeur that the author was trying to convey! “O LORD, my Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!!!!!!!!!!" I get chill bumps thinking about it! David goes on to say that He had set His glory above the heavens. What a great God!
It is a humbling reality to realize that we are mere mortals and God is LORD. How great is our God! Therefore let the prayer of your heart be, "O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name is all the earth; You have displayed your splendor above the heavens!"
Smile Always,
jason
Friday, February 19, 2010
Every Drop Counts
Several times lately, I have grabbed a couple of buckets and filled them with water. This was to have on hand just in case the power went off in the recent storms. Gratefully, we didn’t need it.
We each have a multitude of opportunities, like countless drops in a bucket, to make a difference in the lives of those around us. People need daily drops in their buckets. You can add drops to someone’s bucket with a compliment, a smile, and a word of appreciation or a simple thank you. People need to be recognized, and to feel appreciated. Positive reinforcement and acknowledgement of their value can give a person a sense of self worth; effectively filling their bucket.
The opposite is also true. Our actions can also work like dippers that empty someone’s bucket. Words or actions that belittle, demean, disparage, or put down, can diminish someone’s self esteem, and take away from their sense of self-worth. Sometimes simply ignoring the other person can effectively empty their bucket. Unfortunately, it takes much longer to drip in than it does to dip out. We need to be mindful of this when we interact with those that God places in our path. We also need to remember that just living in this sinful world can evaporate drops from our bucket.
I think some people enjoy dipping out of other people’s buckets. On the other hand, we know people who always seem to know how to cheer you up. You enjoy their company, and look forward to being with them. They are like Barnabas, the son of encouragement, in Acts 4:36. When you look closely, you also notice their bucket always seems full. The reason for this is that when you add drops to someone else’s bucket, some always seems to splash back into yours. Sometimes, you actually receive more than you give!
Bucket filling or bucket dipping is a choice. Some people seem to have a disposition for the negative. But, how we relate to others is also a choice. You can’t blame nature for being hateful, uncaring, mean or malicious. Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone.” The King James Version says to let your speech be “seasoned with salt.” Salt is a preservative, it makes a difference, and it adds taste. Our conversations and interactions with others should add a Christ-like “taste” to our relationship.
We choose either to make a positive or a negative difference in the lives of those around us. If we act positively, and add drops, we fill both their bucket, and our own. If we choose to dip instead, we impact everyone involved in a negative manner. What you do and say will make a big difference. Remember, “drop by drop, the bucket fills,” both yours and theirs.
Overflowing with God’s Love,
Tricia
We each have a multitude of opportunities, like countless drops in a bucket, to make a difference in the lives of those around us. People need daily drops in their buckets. You can add drops to someone’s bucket with a compliment, a smile, and a word of appreciation or a simple thank you. People need to be recognized, and to feel appreciated. Positive reinforcement and acknowledgement of their value can give a person a sense of self worth; effectively filling their bucket.
The opposite is also true. Our actions can also work like dippers that empty someone’s bucket. Words or actions that belittle, demean, disparage, or put down, can diminish someone’s self esteem, and take away from their sense of self-worth. Sometimes simply ignoring the other person can effectively empty their bucket. Unfortunately, it takes much longer to drip in than it does to dip out. We need to be mindful of this when we interact with those that God places in our path. We also need to remember that just living in this sinful world can evaporate drops from our bucket.
I think some people enjoy dipping out of other people’s buckets. On the other hand, we know people who always seem to know how to cheer you up. You enjoy their company, and look forward to being with them. They are like Barnabas, the son of encouragement, in Acts 4:36. When you look closely, you also notice their bucket always seems full. The reason for this is that when you add drops to someone else’s bucket, some always seems to splash back into yours. Sometimes, you actually receive more than you give!
Bucket filling or bucket dipping is a choice. Some people seem to have a disposition for the negative. But, how we relate to others is also a choice. You can’t blame nature for being hateful, uncaring, mean or malicious. Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone.” The King James Version says to let your speech be “seasoned with salt.” Salt is a preservative, it makes a difference, and it adds taste. Our conversations and interactions with others should add a Christ-like “taste” to our relationship.
We choose either to make a positive or a negative difference in the lives of those around us. If we act positively, and add drops, we fill both their bucket, and our own. If we choose to dip instead, we impact everyone involved in a negative manner. What you do and say will make a big difference. Remember, “drop by drop, the bucket fills,” both yours and theirs.
Overflowing with God’s Love,
Tricia
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Overflow ON PURPOSE
"Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily, as for the Lord and not for men; Knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the inheritance which is your reward. The One Whom you are actually serving is the Lord Christ." – Colossians 3:23,24 (Amplified Version)
We have heard it said many times that we should live life with a purpose - an aim or design with the intention of reaching a specific result. Have you ever given any thought to living life ON PURPOSE? Look for every opportunity that God gives us, not running from it but meeting that opportunity ON PURPOSE.
How many days pass where we miss opportunities to OVERFLOW out of the work that Christ has done in us and to show kindness and love? I'm not talking about just to the people that we love already or that have never hurt us or rubbed us the wrong way, but to everyone we meet. I know ... it's not always easy. We all have those certain someone's in our lives. They might even live with us but if we live our lives ON PURPOSE in obedience to the Word of God ... then we are commanded to make that a part of how we live out each day.
It was not by chance that God sent Jesus to this world to be born of a virgin. He sent Him ON PURPOSE to be our Savior. He came to show perfect love to a lost and dying world. He went to the cross ON PURPOSE out of obedience to His Father so that we could have forgiveness and life. Our gratitude for what He has done in our lives should OVERFLOW our lives and cause us to be living out His purpose ON PURPOSE.
Everywhere Jesus went ... He went ON PURPOSE with the aim of displaying His perfect love and His deity through teaching, healing the sick, raising the dead and calling all people unto Himself.
In Acts chapter 20, Paul, knowing through the witness of the Holy Spirit that imprisonment and suffering awaited him, travelled ON PURPOSE to Jerusalem. He continued from city to city preaching the Word and encouraging the churches in obedience to his calling. It was his desire that he would "finish his course with joy, and through the ministry which he had obtained from the Lord Jesus, faithfully testify to the good news of God's grace."
I believe Jesus wants us to live our life ON PURPOSE with the aim of being a reflection of who He is. We are to show His love to all people out of the OVERFLOW of what He has done in us.
Living our lives with HIS PURPOSES being OUR PURPOSES will allow our lives to OVERFLOW and His love to be seen in us and displayed in everything we do.
Striving to live life ON PURPOSE,
Robin
We have heard it said many times that we should live life with a purpose - an aim or design with the intention of reaching a specific result. Have you ever given any thought to living life ON PURPOSE? Look for every opportunity that God gives us, not running from it but meeting that opportunity ON PURPOSE.
How many days pass where we miss opportunities to OVERFLOW out of the work that Christ has done in us and to show kindness and love? I'm not talking about just to the people that we love already or that have never hurt us or rubbed us the wrong way, but to everyone we meet. I know ... it's not always easy. We all have those certain someone's in our lives. They might even live with us but if we live our lives ON PURPOSE in obedience to the Word of God ... then we are commanded to make that a part of how we live out each day.
It was not by chance that God sent Jesus to this world to be born of a virgin. He sent Him ON PURPOSE to be our Savior. He came to show perfect love to a lost and dying world. He went to the cross ON PURPOSE out of obedience to His Father so that we could have forgiveness and life. Our gratitude for what He has done in our lives should OVERFLOW our lives and cause us to be living out His purpose ON PURPOSE.
Everywhere Jesus went ... He went ON PURPOSE with the aim of displaying His perfect love and His deity through teaching, healing the sick, raising the dead and calling all people unto Himself.
In Acts chapter 20, Paul, knowing through the witness of the Holy Spirit that imprisonment and suffering awaited him, travelled ON PURPOSE to Jerusalem. He continued from city to city preaching the Word and encouraging the churches in obedience to his calling. It was his desire that he would "finish his course with joy, and through the ministry which he had obtained from the Lord Jesus, faithfully testify to the good news of God's grace."
I believe Jesus wants us to live our life ON PURPOSE with the aim of being a reflection of who He is. We are to show His love to all people out of the OVERFLOW of what He has done in us.
Living our lives with HIS PURPOSES being OUR PURPOSES will allow our lives to OVERFLOW and His love to be seen in us and displayed in everything we do.
Striving to live life ON PURPOSE,
Robin
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
An Overflow of Commitment
“In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. And she made a vow, saying, ‘O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.’ …. After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was … and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh…. ‘I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.’” (1 Sam 1:10-11; 24; 27-28 NIV)
It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. I believe that a picture painted in one’s mind may be worth even more! It is amazing what the imagination can do. I believe this is one of the reasons that Jesus taught in parables and stories, so that the listeners could paint in their mind the picture of truth that He was telling. You see, I own my picture but I do not own yours! The principle is this: “When you discover truth for yourself then you possess it in a way that makes it really and truly yours.” (William Barclay)
My father used to tell me this short story to impress upon me the importance and nature of making a commitment. “Son,” he used to say, “when it comes to breakfast, the chicken contributes but the pig is committed!” Now, take a few moments and paint that picture of truth in your mind. Better yet, sit down to a nice hot breakfast of bacon or sausage and eggs and consider the difference of what it cost the chicken and the pig to provide your meal! The chicken lives to contribute to another breakfast but the pig has given his all!
Unless he is like the special three-legged pig that lived on the farm. A passerby noticed the three-legged pig playing with the farmer’s children and stopped to inquire about the odd animal. The pig could do tricks and seemed to be more like a pet than a farm animal. The farmer explained that the pig was special and had saved the family by rescuing them from a house fire. The passerby inquired if the pig had lost his leg in the fire. The farmer said, “Oh no, but he is so special we couldn’t eat him all at once!” (Another one of my dad’s stories!)
Hannah asked the Lord for a son and made the commitment to give him to the Lord “all” the days of his life if the Lord would answer her prayer. She didn’t say that she would give him to the Lord for a while but for “all” his days. Hannah literally took her son Samuel and physically handed him over to Eli at Shiloh and committed him there to the Lord for “all” his days. Are you getting the idea that “all” is an important part of commitment?
At times I have played the part of the chicken when it comes to commitment and settled for merely making a contribution that was easily replaced and temporarily eased my conscience. At other times I have acted like a three-legged pig that has given a special part of me that may have cost me something but not so much that I couldn’t live without it. Don’t confuse contribution with commitment. Jesus said, “…any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”(Luke 14:33 NIV) Jesus was able to say this because He made a commitment! A commitment to you and me!
May we make that same commitment to Him!
Larry
It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. I believe that a picture painted in one’s mind may be worth even more! It is amazing what the imagination can do. I believe this is one of the reasons that Jesus taught in parables and stories, so that the listeners could paint in their mind the picture of truth that He was telling. You see, I own my picture but I do not own yours! The principle is this: “When you discover truth for yourself then you possess it in a way that makes it really and truly yours.” (William Barclay)
My father used to tell me this short story to impress upon me the importance and nature of making a commitment. “Son,” he used to say, “when it comes to breakfast, the chicken contributes but the pig is committed!” Now, take a few moments and paint that picture of truth in your mind. Better yet, sit down to a nice hot breakfast of bacon or sausage and eggs and consider the difference of what it cost the chicken and the pig to provide your meal! The chicken lives to contribute to another breakfast but the pig has given his all!
Unless he is like the special three-legged pig that lived on the farm. A passerby noticed the three-legged pig playing with the farmer’s children and stopped to inquire about the odd animal. The pig could do tricks and seemed to be more like a pet than a farm animal. The farmer explained that the pig was special and had saved the family by rescuing them from a house fire. The passerby inquired if the pig had lost his leg in the fire. The farmer said, “Oh no, but he is so special we couldn’t eat him all at once!” (Another one of my dad’s stories!)
Hannah asked the Lord for a son and made the commitment to give him to the Lord “all” the days of his life if the Lord would answer her prayer. She didn’t say that she would give him to the Lord for a while but for “all” his days. Hannah literally took her son Samuel and physically handed him over to Eli at Shiloh and committed him there to the Lord for “all” his days. Are you getting the idea that “all” is an important part of commitment?
At times I have played the part of the chicken when it comes to commitment and settled for merely making a contribution that was easily replaced and temporarily eased my conscience. At other times I have acted like a three-legged pig that has given a special part of me that may have cost me something but not so much that I couldn’t live without it. Don’t confuse contribution with commitment. Jesus said, “…any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”(Luke 14:33 NIV) Jesus was able to say this because He made a commitment! A commitment to you and me!
May we make that same commitment to Him!
Larry
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
An Overflow of Evidence
Last week I mentioned that the moral law, and evil itself, actually point to the existence of God. This week, I want to briefly look at two more arguments for the existence of God. The first argument I'll mention is known as the Kalam cosmological argument. It's simply the argument from a beginning. Did you know that almost all scientists agree that the universe had a beginning at a specific point in the finite past. We live in a world of cause and effect, and common sense tells us that you can’t get something from nothing. So if the universe began to exist, then it had to have a cause that exists outside of time and space. You see, the universe itself cannot be eternal. It is true that the actual amount of energy in the universe remains at a constant, however, all energy is ultimately running down to a state of unusable energy (just like our bodies grow old). If the universe was eternal, we would have had an eternity for all the usable energy to be used up already. The usable energy is not used up, therefore the universe had a beginning and a cause. I would argue that cause is the God of the Bible. We could go into more specifics, but this should suffice for now.
There are other evidences that bolster our case for God's existence. For example, the teleological argument looks at the incredible design we find in nature. If there is a design, then there is a designer. When Darwin proposed his theory of evolution, he believed single cell organisms were very simple creatures that could easily evolve. Now we know that they are complex biological machines that contain as much information as 1,000 volumes of an encyclopedia! The DNA in our cells that determine what we look like, etc. is basically the equivalent of a four letter alphabet. If that doesn't sound impressive, just think about the complexities that result from computer code which is nothing but 1's and 0's! This type of information requires a mind behind it. Even atheistic scientists understand this. The government used to fund a program called SETI (The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) which pointed radio antennas into space that listened for signs of intelligent radio signals from space. This is what the movie "Contact" was based on. Why would they do this? Because they understood that such signals would require a mind behind them. How much more complex is the DNA and biological "machines" that make up every cell of our bodies!! Truly we are, as the Bible says, fearfully and wonderfully made. You are not an accident or the product of random genetic mutations!
Paul echos this line of thinking in Rom. 1:20, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." If all of nature had a beginning, then it stands to reason that the cause of all of nature must be beyond nature or super-natural. Agnostic astronomer Robert Jastrow said in a 1982 interview with "Christianity Today," "Astronomers now find they have painted themselves into a corner because they have proven, by their own methods, that the world began abruptly in an act of creation to which you can trace the seeds of every star, every planet, every living thing in this cosmos and on the earth. And they have found that all this happened as a product of forces they cannot hope to discover .… That there are what I or anyone would call supernatural forces at work is now, I think, a scientifically proven fact." From these three simple arguments (the moral argument, the kalam cosmological argument, the teleological argument) we can conclude that God is: immaterial, eternal, super powerful, super intelligent, morally perfect, and personal. That's a pretty could case we've built for arguing the existence of the God of the Bible.
For His glory,
Adam Tucker
There are other evidences that bolster our case for God's existence. For example, the teleological argument looks at the incredible design we find in nature. If there is a design, then there is a designer. When Darwin proposed his theory of evolution, he believed single cell organisms were very simple creatures that could easily evolve. Now we know that they are complex biological machines that contain as much information as 1,000 volumes of an encyclopedia! The DNA in our cells that determine what we look like, etc. is basically the equivalent of a four letter alphabet. If that doesn't sound impressive, just think about the complexities that result from computer code which is nothing but 1's and 0's! This type of information requires a mind behind it. Even atheistic scientists understand this. The government used to fund a program called SETI (The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) which pointed radio antennas into space that listened for signs of intelligent radio signals from space. This is what the movie "Contact" was based on. Why would they do this? Because they understood that such signals would require a mind behind them. How much more complex is the DNA and biological "machines" that make up every cell of our bodies!! Truly we are, as the Bible says, fearfully and wonderfully made. You are not an accident or the product of random genetic mutations!
Paul echos this line of thinking in Rom. 1:20, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." If all of nature had a beginning, then it stands to reason that the cause of all of nature must be beyond nature or super-natural. Agnostic astronomer Robert Jastrow said in a 1982 interview with "Christianity Today," "Astronomers now find they have painted themselves into a corner because they have proven, by their own methods, that the world began abruptly in an act of creation to which you can trace the seeds of every star, every planet, every living thing in this cosmos and on the earth. And they have found that all this happened as a product of forces they cannot hope to discover .… That there are what I or anyone would call supernatural forces at work is now, I think, a scientifically proven fact." From these three simple arguments (the moral argument, the kalam cosmological argument, the teleological argument) we can conclude that God is: immaterial, eternal, super powerful, super intelligent, morally perfect, and personal. That's a pretty could case we've built for arguing the existence of the God of the Bible.
For His glory,
Adam Tucker
Monday, February 15, 2010
Overflowing Love in Family
1 Corinthians 13:1-4
Yesterday millions of people celebrated Valentine’s Day. Probably millions of others loathed the day it was established as a day to honor love. The honoring of the day has been around for centuries, but in modern times much emphasis has been made of the giving of gifts, cards…..valentines. The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas. The association estimates that, in the US, men spend on average twice as much money as women. Valentine’s Day has become a money maker for the business world and an opportunity for the “once a year”, telling someone close “I Love You”.
I was having a conversation with one of my closest friends on Saturday and I reminded him of the big day on Sunday. “Yeah, yeah, I know….my wife hates Valentine’s Day” was his reply. “Really, why does she hate Valentine’s Day”, I asked. “She says everyday ought to be filled with ‘I love you’, not just Valentine’s Day”. “I cannot argue with that”. His reply…”Guess I ought to get her a card anyway”. “Probably be smart”, I said.
Have you noticed that we often wait until “special” days to express love, to buy the gift, to give the card or do the act of kindness. We seem to place the emphasis on birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day. More often than not, we practice the same thought process with our relationship with God. We have a tendency to wait until Sunday’s to worship or give Him time…we find a new sense of giving around Christmas and we put more emphasis on sacrifice around the Easter season. I wonder if His thought process is like my friend’s wife. “Shouldn’t everyday be about expressing love”?
1 Corinthians 13 speaks many wise words when it comes to the value, importance and the power of love. It tells me that I can be the most eloquent speaker ever on a platform, the smartest man in the world, have the faith to speak and move mountains, give everything I have in sacrificial love to the poor and yes, even lay down my life for others and yet if I do not possess or convey love toward others…all such abilities and sacrifice are useless and meaningless. The writer then begins a simple description of what love is and what love is not.
Love is patient……he really could have stopped right there with the descriptions, if we could just get this one right. Patient’s purest meaning…”self restraint in the face of provocation” is the foundation on which all other principles seem to build. The clearest picture of this meaning is Christ’s journey toward and on the cross. His actions are definitely love expressed in patience and it is that kind of love he exhorts us to show to those around us. Yet, he does not stop with patience….he writes that love is kind, expressed in tangible ways with the sole purpose to benefit another and expecting nothing in return. Patience and kindness are two acts of love that require sacrifice on the part of the giver. Remember the first giver of love (God first loved us) shows patience and kindness so that you and I might be a “channel” of it on the way to someone else. Be careful that His patience and kindness doesn’t stop with you, but overflows to those around you.
Oh yeah…..today is also Valentine’s Day, express your love to others.
Graced by His Love,
Marty
Yesterday millions of people celebrated Valentine’s Day. Probably millions of others loathed the day it was established as a day to honor love. The honoring of the day has been around for centuries, but in modern times much emphasis has been made of the giving of gifts, cards…..valentines. The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas. The association estimates that, in the US, men spend on average twice as much money as women. Valentine’s Day has become a money maker for the business world and an opportunity for the “once a year”, telling someone close “I Love You”.
I was having a conversation with one of my closest friends on Saturday and I reminded him of the big day on Sunday. “Yeah, yeah, I know….my wife hates Valentine’s Day” was his reply. “Really, why does she hate Valentine’s Day”, I asked. “She says everyday ought to be filled with ‘I love you’, not just Valentine’s Day”. “I cannot argue with that”. His reply…”Guess I ought to get her a card anyway”. “Probably be smart”, I said.
Have you noticed that we often wait until “special” days to express love, to buy the gift, to give the card or do the act of kindness. We seem to place the emphasis on birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day. More often than not, we practice the same thought process with our relationship with God. We have a tendency to wait until Sunday’s to worship or give Him time…we find a new sense of giving around Christmas and we put more emphasis on sacrifice around the Easter season. I wonder if His thought process is like my friend’s wife. “Shouldn’t everyday be about expressing love”?
1 Corinthians 13 speaks many wise words when it comes to the value, importance and the power of love. It tells me that I can be the most eloquent speaker ever on a platform, the smartest man in the world, have the faith to speak and move mountains, give everything I have in sacrificial love to the poor and yes, even lay down my life for others and yet if I do not possess or convey love toward others…all such abilities and sacrifice are useless and meaningless. The writer then begins a simple description of what love is and what love is not.
Love is patient……he really could have stopped right there with the descriptions, if we could just get this one right. Patient’s purest meaning…”self restraint in the face of provocation” is the foundation on which all other principles seem to build. The clearest picture of this meaning is Christ’s journey toward and on the cross. His actions are definitely love expressed in patience and it is that kind of love he exhorts us to show to those around us. Yet, he does not stop with patience….he writes that love is kind, expressed in tangible ways with the sole purpose to benefit another and expecting nothing in return. Patience and kindness are two acts of love that require sacrifice on the part of the giver. Remember the first giver of love (God first loved us) shows patience and kindness so that you and I might be a “channel” of it on the way to someone else. Be careful that His patience and kindness doesn’t stop with you, but overflows to those around you.
Oh yeah…..today is also Valentine’s Day, express your love to others.
Graced by His Love,
Marty
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Memories
Toward the end of my grandmother’s life, she was in and out of nursing homes and hospitals and I had the opportunity to go and visit with her some. One specific memory that I stands out is when she was staying at a nursing home and I came by to say hey and to eat lunch with her. When I walked into her room she was not there, so I went to the cafeteria and she wasn’t there either. I checked a couple other places and she was nowhere to be found. Finally I gave up and asked the nurses and they explained that this particular day was “Spa Day,” therefore she was probably getting her hair done or a pedicure. They took me to the room where the pedicures were going on and sure enough my small, bright eyed grandmother sat there in the chair, talking up a blue breeze while several ladies worked on the feet of the other residents. I walked in and joined the conversation. While I was standing there minding my own business, talking with my Grandmother, I was hit in the arm by something. I turned to look but nothing was there. This puzzled me so I looked around. There, on the floor was what hit me in the arm. I am still mortified to say it. There on the floor was… a toenail!!!! Yuck! One of the ladies giving a pedicure on the other side of the room was using scissor-like clippers and she clipped a toenail, which then flew across the room and hit me in the arm! Oh my stomach turns just thinking about that! (I hate toenails!)
So anyways, the reason I tell you that story is because after I collected myself and they finished my grandmother’s pedicure, we went to lunch. While sitting at the table we would watch the other residences, some doing better than others. She began to talk to me about Heaven and what she imagined it would be like. Other times while she was in the hospital she told me that she thought a lot about Heaven and God, she would quote Scripture and talk about hymns that were special to her. I will never forget sitting at that lunch table, hearing my grandmother OVERFLOW about her relationship with God! That is a lasting legacy, not just of my grandmother, but of the greatness of God! Praise God for the precious souls of those who march before us and teach us what OVERFLOWING is really all about!
What are you teaching those closest to you?
Smile Always,
jason
So anyways, the reason I tell you that story is because after I collected myself and they finished my grandmother’s pedicure, we went to lunch. While sitting at the table we would watch the other residences, some doing better than others. She began to talk to me about Heaven and what she imagined it would be like. Other times while she was in the hospital she told me that she thought a lot about Heaven and God, she would quote Scripture and talk about hymns that were special to her. I will never forget sitting at that lunch table, hearing my grandmother OVERFLOW about her relationship with God! That is a lasting legacy, not just of my grandmother, but of the greatness of God! Praise God for the precious souls of those who march before us and teach us what OVERFLOWING is really all about!
What are you teaching those closest to you?
Smile Always,
jason
Friday, February 12, 2010
Using It All For Overflow
Joshua 15:13-17 - In accordance with the LORD's command to him, Joshua gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion in Judah-Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron. From Hebron Caleb drove out the three Anakites-Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai-descendants of Anak. From there he marched against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher). And Caleb said, "I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher." Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage.
Joshua 17:14-15 - The people of Joseph said to Joshua, "Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance? We are a numerous people and the LORD has blessed us abundantly.” “If you are so numerous," Joshua answered, "and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites."
Caleb was really something! You gotta love him! God granted him a special inheritance, a portion of the land in Judah - - a portion that was filled with bad guys. It wasn't a huge portion of land, but it was the land God had given him. So he took what God gave him and did his best with it.
The descendants of Joseph however, were just the opposite. They were given some of the richest land, and yet it wasn't good enough for them. So they demanded more. When God gave them more, that still wasn't good enough, and they continued to complain that there wasn't room enough for them in the land, especially with all those other people already living there! Never mind that God had told them to drive out the inhabitants of the land. They ignored what God had told them to do and complained bitterly about it instead. What a difference from Caleb, who took what God had given to him and did his best with it!
How about you and me? Are we faithful to do that? Are we like Caleb or like the sons of Joseph?
Let’s say that God has given you a talent for working with your hands… for building things. However, you always wished you could be a great teacher… but you aren't. Time after time, projects arise at church that would benefit greatly from your skill with a hammer and saw, but you decide not to participate. You want to teach, and that's it.
Maybe you long to go on mission with God to some distant land. You pray constently for God to open a door and send you away but the doors over-seas never open. All the while you miss seeing the mission field that sits right next door and down the street from your house. You forget about the spiritual needs of people close by and avoid even knowing your neighbor’s first name.
Or let’s say that your only real dream in life was to have a happy family, with 2.5 children, a seven passenger SUV, a two-story house on a hill wiith a white picket fence, a cat and a dog. What you ended up with was a divorce, four children, a beat-up old car, a two bedroom apartment, and a dead dog. BUT - - - in the process of all of that, you also found Jesus and asked Him into your life!! Great news!! BUT - - Along the way, you somehow got the idea that when you became a Christian, this major mess you call your life would suddenly be transformed into something else – that your dream would become a reality. But it just doesn't happen. And you're so busy being angry with God, demanding that He give you more, that you overlook all the many things you could be doing for Him with what He has given you.
Can you see a different way to handle each of the situations above - - - God’s way to handle them?
God gives each of us situations, circumstances, talents - all our very own and all specially given to us by Him, for His purpose. We should follow Caleb's example and do our very best with what God has given us - - - using it all for His glory - - using it all for overflow.
Father, forgive me when I fail to see the abundance of blessings that you have poured out on me. Help me today to take my eyes off of myself and my circumstances and focus all of my attention on You and on Your perfect plan for my life. Guide me to use all that you have given me to bring glory to Your name!
Blessed to Over-flow, Jeff Doss
Joshua 17:14-15 - The people of Joseph said to Joshua, "Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance? We are a numerous people and the LORD has blessed us abundantly.” “If you are so numerous," Joshua answered, "and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites."
Caleb was really something! You gotta love him! God granted him a special inheritance, a portion of the land in Judah - - a portion that was filled with bad guys. It wasn't a huge portion of land, but it was the land God had given him. So he took what God gave him and did his best with it.
The descendants of Joseph however, were just the opposite. They were given some of the richest land, and yet it wasn't good enough for them. So they demanded more. When God gave them more, that still wasn't good enough, and they continued to complain that there wasn't room enough for them in the land, especially with all those other people already living there! Never mind that God had told them to drive out the inhabitants of the land. They ignored what God had told them to do and complained bitterly about it instead. What a difference from Caleb, who took what God had given to him and did his best with it!
How about you and me? Are we faithful to do that? Are we like Caleb or like the sons of Joseph?
Let’s say that God has given you a talent for working with your hands… for building things. However, you always wished you could be a great teacher… but you aren't. Time after time, projects arise at church that would benefit greatly from your skill with a hammer and saw, but you decide not to participate. You want to teach, and that's it.
Maybe you long to go on mission with God to some distant land. You pray constently for God to open a door and send you away but the doors over-seas never open. All the while you miss seeing the mission field that sits right next door and down the street from your house. You forget about the spiritual needs of people close by and avoid even knowing your neighbor’s first name.
Or let’s say that your only real dream in life was to have a happy family, with 2.5 children, a seven passenger SUV, a two-story house on a hill wiith a white picket fence, a cat and a dog. What you ended up with was a divorce, four children, a beat-up old car, a two bedroom apartment, and a dead dog. BUT - - - in the process of all of that, you also found Jesus and asked Him into your life!! Great news!! BUT - - Along the way, you somehow got the idea that when you became a Christian, this major mess you call your life would suddenly be transformed into something else – that your dream would become a reality. But it just doesn't happen. And you're so busy being angry with God, demanding that He give you more, that you overlook all the many things you could be doing for Him with what He has given you.
Can you see a different way to handle each of the situations above - - - God’s way to handle them?
God gives each of us situations, circumstances, talents - all our very own and all specially given to us by Him, for His purpose. We should follow Caleb's example and do our very best with what God has given us - - - using it all for His glory - - using it all for overflow.
Father, forgive me when I fail to see the abundance of blessings that you have poured out on me. Help me today to take my eyes off of myself and my circumstances and focus all of my attention on You and on Your perfect plan for my life. Guide me to use all that you have given me to bring glory to Your name!
Blessed to Over-flow, Jeff Doss
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Sweating the Small Stuff
I was tired. My day had started with a surgical patient to pray with at 6 A.M. So by 11 p.m. I was ready for a good night’s sleep. My wife was out of town so I had the whole bed to myself. I stretched out and just got comfortable with a heard what sounded like the chirp caused by a cell phone low battery. I lay there hoping the sound would go away but about 5 minutes later the “chirp” was back. I got up and went over to my wife’s night stand. She had recently changed phones and I found her old phone. I held her phone in my hand but no “chirp”. It was turned off. I checked the alarm clock to be sure the power was on. It was. So back to bed. Two minutes later, the “chirp” occurs again. This time I check my phone. It appeared to be fully charged but I was not taking any chances so I plug it into my charger and find my way back to bed. By now I was on edge and wide awake waiting to see if the chirp would again occur. It did. Now I was really ticked off. I got up, grabbed a blanket, slammed the bedroom door shut and went to the recliner in the den for hopefully a good night’s sleep. The chirp continued but was more muffled and I figured I would eventually get to sleep. My daughter came upstairs to see what was going on and I explained the sordid tale to her. She went to my bedroom and waited patiently for the next “chirp”. Upon hearing it she immediately went to my dresser and found MY old cell phone, which I had not used for a month, was the culprit. Apparently, it had been left on all of that time but because it was not used it took a long time to wear down the battery. She turned the phone off and peace and quiet was restored. Finally I crawled into my bed and got a good but short night’s sleep.
This saga reminded me that we often allow the smallest distractions in life to affect our relationship with the Lord and prevent our lives from “overflowing”. Maybe it’s a comment by a church member that offends us. Maybe something does not go our way in a church committee or business meeting. Maybe it’s a untimely interruption when we are doing our devotions and we never get back to them. Maybe it’s an early morning appointment that causes us to skip our prayer time so we are not late. (Seems that getting up earlier was not a seriously considered option.) Maybe it’s a “great idea” we have for a church event and no one pays attention. I use these examples because they have all occurred in my life. You probably have your own set of things-small things-insignificant things that Satan uses to stifle our joy and to block us from having the abundant, overflowing life that God desires us to have with Him. A book was written many years ago called “The Tyranny of the Urgent”. It talked about how we allow the “urgent” things in our lives to hinder us from doing the really important things. Part of the problem is that we have an “earthly” rather than an “eternal” perspective. When something offends or threatens to derail you in your relationship with the Lord ask yourself this question: “Does it really matter for eternity?” if the answer is “no”, get back to what is truly important in life. As Paul reminds of in Philippians 3:8” I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” In modern slang, “Don’t sweat the small stuff” but press on “toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14.
Pressing on,
Paul Marth
This saga reminded me that we often allow the smallest distractions in life to affect our relationship with the Lord and prevent our lives from “overflowing”. Maybe it’s a comment by a church member that offends us. Maybe something does not go our way in a church committee or business meeting. Maybe it’s a untimely interruption when we are doing our devotions and we never get back to them. Maybe it’s an early morning appointment that causes us to skip our prayer time so we are not late. (Seems that getting up earlier was not a seriously considered option.) Maybe it’s a “great idea” we have for a church event and no one pays attention. I use these examples because they have all occurred in my life. You probably have your own set of things-small things-insignificant things that Satan uses to stifle our joy and to block us from having the abundant, overflowing life that God desires us to have with Him. A book was written many years ago called “The Tyranny of the Urgent”. It talked about how we allow the “urgent” things in our lives to hinder us from doing the really important things. Part of the problem is that we have an “earthly” rather than an “eternal” perspective. When something offends or threatens to derail you in your relationship with the Lord ask yourself this question: “Does it really matter for eternity?” if the answer is “no”, get back to what is truly important in life. As Paul reminds of in Philippians 3:8” I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” In modern slang, “Don’t sweat the small stuff” but press on “toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14.
Pressing on,
Paul Marth
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Begin With The End In Mind!
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)
This verse is very special in my household. It is the life verse that we have claimed for our daughter Abigail. When she was barely one year old she was diagnosed with congenital scoliosis due to a malformation of several thoracic vertebrae. At that time the doctors discovered she had a 50 degree left to right curve in her spine. During the ensuing months as we traveled to different specialists multiple options for treatment were considered. Ultimately God lead us to the right person and place at the right time. As Abigail's curve reached over 90 degrees (can you imagine having a right angle in your spine?!) something had to be done. She was now four years old and what happened next could forever alter the course of her life. How do you make a decision like that? You begin with the end in mind.
What we wanted for Abigail had to be based on the end result. If it were based on the immediate recommended steps we would have wanted to shelter our child from such pain. Yet we would have been doing her no favors by keeping her from what was not only necessary but helpful. You see God knows the plans He has for us. If He has a plan then He knows the end from the beginning! According to Him, it is a plan to prosper us and not to harm us. Just because something is hurtful does not mean it is harmful. It is His plan to give us hope and a future. That sounds like a pretty good plan to me! He prospers us according to His will. Our hope is found in Jesus His Son who gives us eternal life.
God has prospered Abigail and continues to do so. She continues to grow happy and healthy. Between surgeries she is a vibrant rambunctious little tom-boy! She plays basketball and mixes it up with the rest of the players on the floor. All you need to do to find her is look for the smallest dribbler on the court! If things get too rough; well let's just say you don't mess with the cub when the mother bear is close by and leave it at that!
Life's experiences are like Abigail's for all of us. Sometimes it is tough and challenging. Circumstances seem to be on top of us and we have difficult choices to make. What do we do? Begin with the end in mind! The end is sure and certain in Jesus Christ! We are all on a journey that is sometimes sunny and at other times overcast but the destination that God provides for all who trust in Him is not in doubt!
"Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:12-14)
Begin with the end in mind!
Larry
This verse is very special in my household. It is the life verse that we have claimed for our daughter Abigail. When she was barely one year old she was diagnosed with congenital scoliosis due to a malformation of several thoracic vertebrae. At that time the doctors discovered she had a 50 degree left to right curve in her spine. During the ensuing months as we traveled to different specialists multiple options for treatment were considered. Ultimately God lead us to the right person and place at the right time. As Abigail's curve reached over 90 degrees (can you imagine having a right angle in your spine?!) something had to be done. She was now four years old and what happened next could forever alter the course of her life. How do you make a decision like that? You begin with the end in mind.
What we wanted for Abigail had to be based on the end result. If it were based on the immediate recommended steps we would have wanted to shelter our child from such pain. Yet we would have been doing her no favors by keeping her from what was not only necessary but helpful. You see God knows the plans He has for us. If He has a plan then He knows the end from the beginning! According to Him, it is a plan to prosper us and not to harm us. Just because something is hurtful does not mean it is harmful. It is His plan to give us hope and a future. That sounds like a pretty good plan to me! He prospers us according to His will. Our hope is found in Jesus His Son who gives us eternal life.
God has prospered Abigail and continues to do so. She continues to grow happy and healthy. Between surgeries she is a vibrant rambunctious little tom-boy! She plays basketball and mixes it up with the rest of the players on the floor. All you need to do to find her is look for the smallest dribbler on the court! If things get too rough; well let's just say you don't mess with the cub when the mother bear is close by and leave it at that!
Life's experiences are like Abigail's for all of us. Sometimes it is tough and challenging. Circumstances seem to be on top of us and we have difficult choices to make. What do we do? Begin with the end in mind! The end is sure and certain in Jesus Christ! We are all on a journey that is sometimes sunny and at other times overcast but the destination that God provides for all who trust in Him is not in doubt!
"Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:12-14)
Begin with the end in mind!
Larry
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
An Overflow of Morality
I've been talking about evil and suffering for the last couple of weeks and the apparent problems those things seem to present for the Christian worldview. Ironically, however, evil actually serves as a very strong argument for the existence of God for at least two reasons! Let me explain what I mean.
First, simply acknowledging the "problem of evil" means someone knows that some actions are better than others and some actions are simply evil. Let's use Mother Teresa and Hitler as two extreme examples. Who in their right minds would say that Hitler was a better person than Mother Teresa? Hopefully no one! While Mother Teresa was certainly not perfect, how is that we just seem to know that she was a better person than Hitler? We can't make such judgements without having a perfect standard to compare are case studies to. C.S. Lewis put it well, "The moment you say that one set of moral ideas can be better than another, you are, in fact, measuring them both by a standard, saying that one of them conforms to that standard more nearly than the other. But the standard that measures two things is something different from either. You are, in fact, comparing them both with some Real Morality, admitting that there is such a thing as a real Right, independent of what people think, and that some people’s ideas get nearer to that real Right than others. Or put it this way. If your moral ideas can be truer, and those of the Nazis less true, there must be something—some Real Morality—for them to be true about." But where does this "Real Morality" come from? That brings us to our second point.
If there is no moral law, then no one can say anything is really right or wrong, good or evil, etc. For example, we couldn't say the events of 9/11 were actually wrong. We could say we didn't like them or that we would prefer different events take place, but without an actual moral law, we couldn't say that what happened was really wrong. Yet it seems we have very good reasons to believe there is an actual moral law that people instinctively know. Across the globe, it's a commonality that murder is wrong, adultery is wrong, stealing is wrong, etc. Paul seemed to agree when he wrote in Rom. 2:14-15, "Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them." This may not be evident by our actions at all times, but it is evident by our reactions. Even the thief cries "Wrong!" when he's stolen from! But if there's an objective moral law that exists outside of us, then we can draw a pretty significant conclusion from that fact. The argument goes like this:
1) Every law has a lawgiver
2) There is an objective moral law
3) Therefore, there is an objective Moral Law Giver
Granted, we haven't provided a robust case for the Christian God at this point, but we have begun to lay a solid foundation. For we know this Moral Law Giver must be morally perfect and personal. The moral law flows from the very nature of God. He is perfectly loving, perfectly just, etc. He is also personal. We have no moral obligations to natural laws. Basketball players do not have a moral obligation to the law of gravity when they dunk a basketball. We only have moral obligations to other persons. Therefore, we've learned some important things about this Moral Law Giver in a short period of time.
While we may not always have emotionally satisfying answers to all the aspects of the problem of evil, it's important to keep the perceived problem in perspective. It was this fact that God used to help lead C.S. Lewis from atheism to Christianity. Lewis wrote, "[As an atheist] my argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?" He recognized the need for a perfect Moral Law Giver. When combined with other arguments, it becomes clear that this is, in fact, the very God of the Bible.
For His glory,
Adam Tucker
First, simply acknowledging the "problem of evil" means someone knows that some actions are better than others and some actions are simply evil. Let's use Mother Teresa and Hitler as two extreme examples. Who in their right minds would say that Hitler was a better person than Mother Teresa? Hopefully no one! While Mother Teresa was certainly not perfect, how is that we just seem to know that she was a better person than Hitler? We can't make such judgements without having a perfect standard to compare are case studies to. C.S. Lewis put it well, "The moment you say that one set of moral ideas can be better than another, you are, in fact, measuring them both by a standard, saying that one of them conforms to that standard more nearly than the other. But the standard that measures two things is something different from either. You are, in fact, comparing them both with some Real Morality, admitting that there is such a thing as a real Right, independent of what people think, and that some people’s ideas get nearer to that real Right than others. Or put it this way. If your moral ideas can be truer, and those of the Nazis less true, there must be something—some Real Morality—for them to be true about." But where does this "Real Morality" come from? That brings us to our second point.
If there is no moral law, then no one can say anything is really right or wrong, good or evil, etc. For example, we couldn't say the events of 9/11 were actually wrong. We could say we didn't like them or that we would prefer different events take place, but without an actual moral law, we couldn't say that what happened was really wrong. Yet it seems we have very good reasons to believe there is an actual moral law that people instinctively know. Across the globe, it's a commonality that murder is wrong, adultery is wrong, stealing is wrong, etc. Paul seemed to agree when he wrote in Rom. 2:14-15, "Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them." This may not be evident by our actions at all times, but it is evident by our reactions. Even the thief cries "Wrong!" when he's stolen from! But if there's an objective moral law that exists outside of us, then we can draw a pretty significant conclusion from that fact. The argument goes like this:
1) Every law has a lawgiver
2) There is an objective moral law
3) Therefore, there is an objective Moral Law Giver
Granted, we haven't provided a robust case for the Christian God at this point, but we have begun to lay a solid foundation. For we know this Moral Law Giver must be morally perfect and personal. The moral law flows from the very nature of God. He is perfectly loving, perfectly just, etc. He is also personal. We have no moral obligations to natural laws. Basketball players do not have a moral obligation to the law of gravity when they dunk a basketball. We only have moral obligations to other persons. Therefore, we've learned some important things about this Moral Law Giver in a short period of time.
While we may not always have emotionally satisfying answers to all the aspects of the problem of evil, it's important to keep the perceived problem in perspective. It was this fact that God used to help lead C.S. Lewis from atheism to Christianity. Lewis wrote, "[As an atheist] my argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?" He recognized the need for a perfect Moral Law Giver. When combined with other arguments, it becomes clear that this is, in fact, the very God of the Bible.
For His glory,
Adam Tucker
Monday, February 8, 2010
What does Overflowing Love look like?
1 Corinthians 13
No Regrets! Those were the words of a wife whose husband had suddenly died some years ago. She was recalling the many marriage enrichment classes and workshops they had attended over the years and was sharing that it seemed he was doing everything right and it was her that needed to step up in their relationship. “He always treated me with honor and never raised his voice at me,” she recalled with tears streaming down her face. “Marty, I can honestly say I have no regrets concerning our marriage and our relationship.” “There is no ‘I wish I had or he had’ done this or been that.” Wow, what a testimony to have a marriage relationship that has suddenly ended be able to say “no regrets.”
1 Corinthians 13 speaks of a “no regrets” love as being patient with our spouse and family when they are so different from us….it speaks of that love as being kind when others frustrate us…it holds that we are not selfishly jealous of our own thoughts and opinions or arrogant in thinking we are always right. A “no regrets” love does not act unrighteously, it does not seek its own way in selfish thought or action, it is under control and it does not hold grudges, but offers forgiveness. A “no regrets” love has joy in being and doing things in a truthful and Godly way. Finally, verses 7&8 tells us that a “no regrets” love stays committed in tough times, believes the best in others, finds hope in God’s purpose and finishes well….because that kind of love does not fail and a “no regrets” love finds its source in the Lord Jesus Christ. The context of 1 Corinthians teaches us that all talents, abilities and knowledge is of no value without the foundation of a “no regrets” type of love.
I pray that it is each of our desires at the end of every day that in our family life we can say “no regrets” and we would be able to rest at night knowing we have loved our spouse and honored our God by honoring our family. At the end of a long & hard day I trust you will have saved some of the “best of you” to share with your family. To have no regrets is to be at total peace with God, ourselves and that we have been faithful with what He has entrusted us with for the day.
When I come to the full understanding of the Christmas and Easter message, I am confronted with the truth that Christ paid it all…He left nothing out…He gave all…He served all….He ministered to all…He surrendered all and He overcame all. He could simply say “No Regrets.” May the power, peace, provision, and purpose of God so reign in your life as you seek to be a “family on purpose” for His kingdom…..with “no regrets.”
Humbled,
Marty
No Regrets! Those were the words of a wife whose husband had suddenly died some years ago. She was recalling the many marriage enrichment classes and workshops they had attended over the years and was sharing that it seemed he was doing everything right and it was her that needed to step up in their relationship. “He always treated me with honor and never raised his voice at me,” she recalled with tears streaming down her face. “Marty, I can honestly say I have no regrets concerning our marriage and our relationship.” “There is no ‘I wish I had or he had’ done this or been that.” Wow, what a testimony to have a marriage relationship that has suddenly ended be able to say “no regrets.”
1 Corinthians 13 speaks of a “no regrets” love as being patient with our spouse and family when they are so different from us….it speaks of that love as being kind when others frustrate us…it holds that we are not selfishly jealous of our own thoughts and opinions or arrogant in thinking we are always right. A “no regrets” love does not act unrighteously, it does not seek its own way in selfish thought or action, it is under control and it does not hold grudges, but offers forgiveness. A “no regrets” love has joy in being and doing things in a truthful and Godly way. Finally, verses 7&8 tells us that a “no regrets” love stays committed in tough times, believes the best in others, finds hope in God’s purpose and finishes well….because that kind of love does not fail and a “no regrets” love finds its source in the Lord Jesus Christ. The context of 1 Corinthians teaches us that all talents, abilities and knowledge is of no value without the foundation of a “no regrets” type of love.
I pray that it is each of our desires at the end of every day that in our family life we can say “no regrets” and we would be able to rest at night knowing we have loved our spouse and honored our God by honoring our family. At the end of a long & hard day I trust you will have saved some of the “best of you” to share with your family. To have no regrets is to be at total peace with God, ourselves and that we have been faithful with what He has entrusted us with for the day.
When I come to the full understanding of the Christmas and Easter message, I am confronted with the truth that Christ paid it all…He left nothing out…He gave all…He served all….He ministered to all…He surrendered all and He overcame all. He could simply say “No Regrets.” May the power, peace, provision, and purpose of God so reign in your life as you seek to be a “family on purpose” for His kingdom…..with “no regrets.”
Humbled,
Marty
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Go!
Luke 10:3,9
“Go.” This small, miniature word has the power and ability to change the course of the planet. In less than a week, the world will unite in the Olympics, one of the most rigorous competitions ever designed and it will all start with the words, “On your mark, get set, GO!” For a teenager who is madly and deeply in love with the girl of his dreams, he longs for the answer to the question, “Will you GO to the prom with me?” For that patient who has been fighting cancer and has undergone treatments, they await the doctor’s prognosis, “You are good to GO! A heart can shatter in a wounded marriage, when one spouse tells the other, “You need to GO.” The world changes, and lives are defined by the word, GO.
Jesus understood the power of this potent word. In Luke chapter 10 verse 3, He appointed seventy people and gathered them to embark on a mission trip. They would leave two by two and proclaim the greatness of God but the word that would start this adventure was “Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.” Can you just see, Jesus beaming ear to ear, as He looks out over these seventy people, and says, “On your mark, get set, GO reach the world!” But He was also careful to let them know, you will be like lambs and the world will desire to devour you like wolves. In my finite mind this does not make sense, why would Jesus send out these willing yet defenseless people to such an underdog battle? Praise God the answer is found in verse 9, “And heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”
I have heard it said that, “Peace is the absence of war.” But I would beg to differ. Jesus tells us in John 14:27, “… My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heat be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” If peace is the absence of war and Jesus gives us His peace then why is there war all around us? No, peace is not the absence of war, rather, peace is the understanding that the kingdom of God has come near to you in the midst of the war! Praise God! We will encounter underdog moments and challenges but we do not have to worry because God is right there with us! The wolves will encircle us but His power, His presence, and His peace are OVERFLOWING our hearts and lives! Therefore, when we hear that life changing call of God to “GO,” buckle up, because it is going to be the adventure of a lifetime!
Smile Always,
jason
“Go.” This small, miniature word has the power and ability to change the course of the planet. In less than a week, the world will unite in the Olympics, one of the most rigorous competitions ever designed and it will all start with the words, “On your mark, get set, GO!” For a teenager who is madly and deeply in love with the girl of his dreams, he longs for the answer to the question, “Will you GO to the prom with me?” For that patient who has been fighting cancer and has undergone treatments, they await the doctor’s prognosis, “You are good to GO! A heart can shatter in a wounded marriage, when one spouse tells the other, “You need to GO.” The world changes, and lives are defined by the word, GO.
Jesus understood the power of this potent word. In Luke chapter 10 verse 3, He appointed seventy people and gathered them to embark on a mission trip. They would leave two by two and proclaim the greatness of God but the word that would start this adventure was “Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.” Can you just see, Jesus beaming ear to ear, as He looks out over these seventy people, and says, “On your mark, get set, GO reach the world!” But He was also careful to let them know, you will be like lambs and the world will desire to devour you like wolves. In my finite mind this does not make sense, why would Jesus send out these willing yet defenseless people to such an underdog battle? Praise God the answer is found in verse 9, “And heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”
I have heard it said that, “Peace is the absence of war.” But I would beg to differ. Jesus tells us in John 14:27, “… My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heat be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” If peace is the absence of war and Jesus gives us His peace then why is there war all around us? No, peace is not the absence of war, rather, peace is the understanding that the kingdom of God has come near to you in the midst of the war! Praise God! We will encounter underdog moments and challenges but we do not have to worry because God is right there with us! The wolves will encircle us but His power, His presence, and His peace are OVERFLOWING our hearts and lives! Therefore, when we hear that life changing call of God to “GO,” buckle up, because it is going to be the adventure of a lifetime!
Smile Always,
jason
Friday, February 5, 2010
Didn't God Love the World?
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:1
At first glance today’s Scripture could easily be misunderstood. We all learn “For God so loved the world” (John 3:16). Yet, here in 1 John we’re told not to love anything in the world.
In John 3:16 the word “world” means “created things” and we’ve come to define it as “every man, woman, boy and girl”. God loved every person who has ever lived and who will ever live so much that He sent Jesus to die for their sin. Truly, BIG LOVE!
John uses the exact same word in the 1 John passage. So, do we see a contradiction in the Word of God? Does God say He loved the entire world but say that we can’t love any of it?
John frequently takes one thought and looks at it from opposing views. It’s much like taking a normal everyday item or activity and realizing that it can be used for good or for evil. Time is a good example. We all have 24 hours a day. But, we all chose to use the 24 hours in different ways. We can use time for good or for evil. It’s still time, regardless of our choice.
Love can be used for good or for evil. But, our human mind has a hard time recognizing that we can’t love anything more than God for us to truly love anything. That’s right – want to love your husband or wife more? Then love God more. The love for your spouse will flow out of your love for God. When we model our time or our love from God’s direction for our lives, everything takes on a different appearance.
Before we come to accept Jesus Christ, we can’t have any of God’s thoughts. It’s impossible. Yet, after we accept Jesus Christ, God gives us the mind of Christ. He gives us the Holy Spirit to import the wisdom of Christ as we need it and as we seek it.
In Romans 3, Paul tells us that we must have our minds “set on what the Spirit desires.” We can’t even know what this is unless we give God time to reveal it to us. To love what God loves, we have to know what He loves. Jesus came to save every man, woman, boy and girl from an eternal hell. So, that’s a guaranteed good place to start.
How are you showing God’s love to the world around you? Do you love anything more than you love God? How are you using your time for His purposes?
God is love. He loves the world deeply. God has shown He’s love in amazing ways. If we look to Him for who to love and how to love, we’ll be in a safe place. Life will happen and it will challenge our love for God. The world around us will constantly put us in situations where our love will be challenged. But, God’s love is steadfast and faithful. He love is perfect and just. He loved the whole world and He gave the life of His Son to demonstrate that love. We may live in this world – but He should be our world!
Is He your world today?
Praying for an Overflow of Blessing Today,
Tricia
At first glance today’s Scripture could easily be misunderstood. We all learn “For God so loved the world” (John 3:16). Yet, here in 1 John we’re told not to love anything in the world.
In John 3:16 the word “world” means “created things” and we’ve come to define it as “every man, woman, boy and girl”. God loved every person who has ever lived and who will ever live so much that He sent Jesus to die for their sin. Truly, BIG LOVE!
John uses the exact same word in the 1 John passage. So, do we see a contradiction in the Word of God? Does God say He loved the entire world but say that we can’t love any of it?
John frequently takes one thought and looks at it from opposing views. It’s much like taking a normal everyday item or activity and realizing that it can be used for good or for evil. Time is a good example. We all have 24 hours a day. But, we all chose to use the 24 hours in different ways. We can use time for good or for evil. It’s still time, regardless of our choice.
Love can be used for good or for evil. But, our human mind has a hard time recognizing that we can’t love anything more than God for us to truly love anything. That’s right – want to love your husband or wife more? Then love God more. The love for your spouse will flow out of your love for God. When we model our time or our love from God’s direction for our lives, everything takes on a different appearance.
Before we come to accept Jesus Christ, we can’t have any of God’s thoughts. It’s impossible. Yet, after we accept Jesus Christ, God gives us the mind of Christ. He gives us the Holy Spirit to import the wisdom of Christ as we need it and as we seek it.
In Romans 3, Paul tells us that we must have our minds “set on what the Spirit desires.” We can’t even know what this is unless we give God time to reveal it to us. To love what God loves, we have to know what He loves. Jesus came to save every man, woman, boy and girl from an eternal hell. So, that’s a guaranteed good place to start.
How are you showing God’s love to the world around you? Do you love anything more than you love God? How are you using your time for His purposes?
God is love. He loves the world deeply. God has shown He’s love in amazing ways. If we look to Him for who to love and how to love, we’ll be in a safe place. Life will happen and it will challenge our love for God. The world around us will constantly put us in situations where our love will be challenged. But, God’s love is steadfast and faithful. He love is perfect and just. He loved the whole world and He gave the life of His Son to demonstrate that love. We may live in this world – but He should be our world!
Is He your world today?
Praying for an Overflow of Blessing Today,
Tricia
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Overflowing Through Multiplication
The thought of OVERFLOW would imply that an object is so full that it spills over onto whatever or whoever surrounds it or that there is a super abundant amount of something.
When I read about the feeding of the 5000 and the feeding of the 4000 in Matthew chapters 14 and 15, it is obvious that Jesus was very capable of taking a small offering of food and providing an OVERFLOW or super abundant meal for those who were in need of nourishment. What would have been enough for only 1 or 2 miraculously became a feast for thousands with plenty left over!
Sadly, it is all too often true with us as believers ... that we lack faith to believe that Jesus is still in the business of taking what little we have to offer, multiplying it and using it in miraculous ways. I am reminded of the sweet chorus to a song I heard as a child ... "Little is much when God is in it. Labor not for wealth or fame. There's a crown and you can win it, if you go in Jesus' name."
Are you saying to yourself "What do I have to offer Jesus that He could use? I can't sing like "so and so", I'm not a great teacher like "such and such" and I don't have a lot of money!"
Friends, I believe that Jesus patiently waits to take the ordinary like you and me and use us in His plan to make extraordinary things happen. First, we must empty ourselves of self, pride and all those things that are standing in the way of Jesus being able to fill us up to OVERFLOW onto all that surround us! Then He can take what we have to offer Him no matter how great or small and multiply it! As a result our lives and the lives of others will be miraculously changed. Just be willing to hand over all that you are and all that you have to Jesus to be used by Him to bring Him honor and glory!!!
Blessings,
Robin
When I read about the feeding of the 5000 and the feeding of the 4000 in Matthew chapters 14 and 15, it is obvious that Jesus was very capable of taking a small offering of food and providing an OVERFLOW or super abundant meal for those who were in need of nourishment. What would have been enough for only 1 or 2 miraculously became a feast for thousands with plenty left over!
Sadly, it is all too often true with us as believers ... that we lack faith to believe that Jesus is still in the business of taking what little we have to offer, multiplying it and using it in miraculous ways. I am reminded of the sweet chorus to a song I heard as a child ... "Little is much when God is in it. Labor not for wealth or fame. There's a crown and you can win it, if you go in Jesus' name."
Are you saying to yourself "What do I have to offer Jesus that He could use? I can't sing like "so and so", I'm not a great teacher like "such and such" and I don't have a lot of money!"
Friends, I believe that Jesus patiently waits to take the ordinary like you and me and use us in His plan to make extraordinary things happen. First, we must empty ourselves of self, pride and all those things that are standing in the way of Jesus being able to fill us up to OVERFLOW onto all that surround us! Then He can take what we have to offer Him no matter how great or small and multiply it! As a result our lives and the lives of others will be miraculously changed. Just be willing to hand over all that you are and all that you have to Jesus to be used by Him to bring Him honor and glory!!!
Blessings,
Robin
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
An Overflow of Obstacles?
Have you faced any obstacles in the past few days? Perhaps something of the fluffy and white variety that fell in great amounts over the weekend? I just turned fifty but when it comes to the prediction of a snow storm I wait with anticipation the arrival and accumulation of lots of white stuff as if I were ten years old again! This past weekend I was not disappointed. What a wonderful snow we had!
Of course that depends on your perspective and situation. Snow can be fun if you can get around and go where you want to go. On the other hand, snow can be an obstacle if it prevents you from getting where you need to be. (Unless you are school age and rejoicing that school is cancelled!)
Obstacles. We face them all the time. Some of them like the snow are easy to see. If you can see an obstacle and identify what it is then you have a much greater chance to deal with it and remove it. What do you do with an obstacle that you can't see? What about an obstacle that you don't even know is there? How do you deal with an obstacle like that?
In the Gospel of Mark Jesus tells this parable.
"Listen {to this!} Behold, the sower went out to sow; as he was sowing, some {seed} fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. Other {seed} fell on the rocky {ground} where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. Other {seed} fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. Other {seeds} fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. And He was saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (Mark 4:3-9 NAU)
What are the obstacles to production in this parable? Birds snatching away seed before it can be planted. Rocky soil that prevents deep root production. Scorching sun that withers young plants. Thorns and weeds that choke plants out. All of these were obstacles to production, yet none of them would have been obvious when the seed was sown!
You see, we do things different today when we plant. We plow and prepare the soil to receive the seed before it is sown. In Jesus day the sower would scatter the seed over the field first and then plow or rake it in. Birds could show up after sowing and before plowing. Rocks could be just below the surface and leave very little soil for root production after the seed is planted leaving it vulnerable to the scorching sun. The seeds of weeds and thorns could be in the soil along with the seeds of plants to grow along with them and choke them out.
All of these obstacles are present yet the sower cannot see them. And yet he sows. Why? "Other {seeds} fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." The sower sows because there is production and increase despite the obstacles. If the sower were focused on the obstacles there might never be a harvest!
As we seek to Overflow with God's love for others are we focused on the obstacles or on the sowing? Are we worried about the potential loss or abundant increase? Are we dependant upon ourselves or upon God?
"Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness." (2 Cor. 9:10 NAU)
Sowing expectantly!
Larry
Of course that depends on your perspective and situation. Snow can be fun if you can get around and go where you want to go. On the other hand, snow can be an obstacle if it prevents you from getting where you need to be. (Unless you are school age and rejoicing that school is cancelled!)
Obstacles. We face them all the time. Some of them like the snow are easy to see. If you can see an obstacle and identify what it is then you have a much greater chance to deal with it and remove it. What do you do with an obstacle that you can't see? What about an obstacle that you don't even know is there? How do you deal with an obstacle like that?
In the Gospel of Mark Jesus tells this parable.
"Listen {to this!} Behold, the sower went out to sow; as he was sowing, some {seed} fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. Other {seed} fell on the rocky {ground} where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. Other {seed} fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. Other {seeds} fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. And He was saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (Mark 4:3-9 NAU)
What are the obstacles to production in this parable? Birds snatching away seed before it can be planted. Rocky soil that prevents deep root production. Scorching sun that withers young plants. Thorns and weeds that choke plants out. All of these were obstacles to production, yet none of them would have been obvious when the seed was sown!
You see, we do things different today when we plant. We plow and prepare the soil to receive the seed before it is sown. In Jesus day the sower would scatter the seed over the field first and then plow or rake it in. Birds could show up after sowing and before plowing. Rocks could be just below the surface and leave very little soil for root production after the seed is planted leaving it vulnerable to the scorching sun. The seeds of weeds and thorns could be in the soil along with the seeds of plants to grow along with them and choke them out.
All of these obstacles are present yet the sower cannot see them. And yet he sows. Why? "Other {seeds} fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." The sower sows because there is production and increase despite the obstacles. If the sower were focused on the obstacles there might never be a harvest!
As we seek to Overflow with God's love for others are we focused on the obstacles or on the sowing? Are we worried about the potential loss or abundant increase? Are we dependant upon ourselves or upon God?
"Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness." (2 Cor. 9:10 NAU)
Sowing expectantly!
Larry
An Overflow of Suffering
Last week we looked at the question, "Does God hate Haiti?". Of course the answer is no. Yet, it seems that every time we turn around there is an overflow of suffering and evil in the world. The problem of evil is one of the toughest questions for the Christian to answer. It's a tough question for any worldview to answer. But make no mistake, I believe the are good answers and that the Christian worldview is the only worldview capable of giving a satisfactory answer. I really can't do justice to this topic in one blog post, but let's quickly examine the problem of evil together. I think you'll begin to see that many arguments that use the problem of evil as proof against the existence of God ultimately fail.
There are two general arguments involving the problem of evil that people often use to show the Christian God does not exist. The first goes something like this:
1) God created everything
2) Evil is a thing
3) Therefore, God created evil
The logic of this argument is strong, and this is a valid argument. However, premise number 2 is flawed. Evil is not a thing that was created by God or anyone else. Evil is a privation of good. In other words, evil is to good what rust is to a car or rot to a tree. Evil is the lack of good. It's similar to cold or darkness. Cold is not actually a thing, it is the lack of heat. Darkness is not a thing, it is the absence of light. Hence, while we could say God is responsible for the possibility of evil because He created creatures with free will to choose good or evil, ultimately it is not God's fault. God's creation was good, indeed it was VERY good. Yet it was man's choice that resulted in the evil we experience every day. Romans 8:20-22 says, "For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now."
The second argument says:
1) If God is all-loving He would stop evil
2) If God is all-powerful He could stop evil
3) God has not stopped evil
4) Therefore, God must not be all-loving, or all-powerful, or both
Again, this is a valid argument, but it has a flawed premise. Can you guess which one? That's right, premise 3 is missing a very simple, but very important, little word. Premise 3 is missing the word "yet". God has not stopped evil YET, but He will! You see, the greatest purpose of life is to glorify God and make Him known. It's entirely possible, even likely, that God has a very good reason for allowing evil to continue for a time. The great author and apologist C.S. Lewis once wrote, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." If God were to stop all the evil, He would have to remove the sources of that evil. We've all been the source of evil of some sort at some point in our lives. So where would that leave you and me? God promises to stop evil, but not quite yet. Second Peter 3:8-9 says, "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
There are many unanswered questions regarding evil and suffering that we may never have answered this side of heaven. But we have good reason to trust that God has a purpose and that He can redeem the evil and suffering we experience just as He did for Joseph in the Old Testament. But ultimately, we know that the greatest act of evil also brought about the greatest good, salvation through Jesus Christ. Pastor John Stott said, “I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross…In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in light of His. There is still a question mark against human suffering, but over it we boldly stamp another mark, the cross which symbolizes divine suffering. ‘The cross of Christ…is God’s only self-justification in such a world’ as ours.”
So when the day comes that God eradicates evil once and for all, will you be counted righteous because you're covered with the righteous blood of Jesus, or will be counted with the devil and his angels? I pray you have the stamp of the cross on your life!
For His glory,
Adam Tucker
There are two general arguments involving the problem of evil that people often use to show the Christian God does not exist. The first goes something like this:
1) God created everything
2) Evil is a thing
3) Therefore, God created evil
The logic of this argument is strong, and this is a valid argument. However, premise number 2 is flawed. Evil is not a thing that was created by God or anyone else. Evil is a privation of good. In other words, evil is to good what rust is to a car or rot to a tree. Evil is the lack of good. It's similar to cold or darkness. Cold is not actually a thing, it is the lack of heat. Darkness is not a thing, it is the absence of light. Hence, while we could say God is responsible for the possibility of evil because He created creatures with free will to choose good or evil, ultimately it is not God's fault. God's creation was good, indeed it was VERY good. Yet it was man's choice that resulted in the evil we experience every day. Romans 8:20-22 says, "For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now."
The second argument says:
1) If God is all-loving He would stop evil
2) If God is all-powerful He could stop evil
3) God has not stopped evil
4) Therefore, God must not be all-loving, or all-powerful, or both
Again, this is a valid argument, but it has a flawed premise. Can you guess which one? That's right, premise 3 is missing a very simple, but very important, little word. Premise 3 is missing the word "yet". God has not stopped evil YET, but He will! You see, the greatest purpose of life is to glorify God and make Him known. It's entirely possible, even likely, that God has a very good reason for allowing evil to continue for a time. The great author and apologist C.S. Lewis once wrote, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." If God were to stop all the evil, He would have to remove the sources of that evil. We've all been the source of evil of some sort at some point in our lives. So where would that leave you and me? God promises to stop evil, but not quite yet. Second Peter 3:8-9 says, "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
There are many unanswered questions regarding evil and suffering that we may never have answered this side of heaven. But we have good reason to trust that God has a purpose and that He can redeem the evil and suffering we experience just as He did for Joseph in the Old Testament. But ultimately, we know that the greatest act of evil also brought about the greatest good, salvation through Jesus Christ. Pastor John Stott said, “I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross…In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in light of His. There is still a question mark against human suffering, but over it we boldly stamp another mark, the cross which symbolizes divine suffering. ‘The cross of Christ…is God’s only self-justification in such a world’ as ours.”
So when the day comes that God eradicates evil once and for all, will you be counted righteous because you're covered with the righteous blood of Jesus, or will be counted with the devil and his angels? I pray you have the stamp of the cross on your life!
For His glory,
Adam Tucker
Monday, February 1, 2010
Overflowing in Family Life
1 John 4:7-11 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
“I do not believe he loves me anymore” she stated with tears in her eyes. “I feel empty and alone” she added. As I glanced over at the husband, he sat there in disbelief. He could not comprehend what she was saying. After all he thought he was “doing” everything possible to love her. After 9 hours on the job he came home and worked 2 – 3 more hours helping with the children, often washing clothes and when needed straightening up the house. He was loving her by “acts of service.” She needed to “be told” that she was valued, that she was loved and was appreciated.
I have encountered this couple many times…different names of course, but same circumstances. Each one loving each other in their own way, yet the other spouse not “feeling” loved. Gary Chapman in his book “The Five Love Languages” states every person “gives and receives love in their own language.” He specifically refers to these languages as: “Acts of Service” – giving love through performing acts of kindness and service for the other person; “Words of Affirmation” – giving and sharing love verbally with encouragement, appreciation and positive communication; “Quality Time” – expressing love through focused and intentional time together, however even this language has a “male dialect” (quiet quality time) and a “female dialect” (‘lets talk’ quality time); “Physical Touch” – expressing love through a hug, held hand, a back rub, etc. communicates a powerful message; “Gifts” – the universal message of giving a gift speaks volumes of thoughtfulness and value to many.
Families who understand this one simple truth of differing love languages opens the door of understanding and insight in celebrating differences as opposed to being frustrated by them. Dr. Chapman also brings understanding to loving your child and teenager through age specific books: “Five Love Languages of Children” and “Five Love Languages of Teenagers”.
Love is such a beautiful word…yet it seems so complicated to understand and speak. Take time to speak love to your family today in a way that they understand. “For God so loved the world that He gave”…..may your love begin with “giving”.
Grateful,
Marty
“I do not believe he loves me anymore” she stated with tears in her eyes. “I feel empty and alone” she added. As I glanced over at the husband, he sat there in disbelief. He could not comprehend what she was saying. After all he thought he was “doing” everything possible to love her. After 9 hours on the job he came home and worked 2 – 3 more hours helping with the children, often washing clothes and when needed straightening up the house. He was loving her by “acts of service.” She needed to “be told” that she was valued, that she was loved and was appreciated.
I have encountered this couple many times…different names of course, but same circumstances. Each one loving each other in their own way, yet the other spouse not “feeling” loved. Gary Chapman in his book “The Five Love Languages” states every person “gives and receives love in their own language.” He specifically refers to these languages as: “Acts of Service” – giving love through performing acts of kindness and service for the other person; “Words of Affirmation” – giving and sharing love verbally with encouragement, appreciation and positive communication; “Quality Time” – expressing love through focused and intentional time together, however even this language has a “male dialect” (quiet quality time) and a “female dialect” (‘lets talk’ quality time); “Physical Touch” – expressing love through a hug, held hand, a back rub, etc. communicates a powerful message; “Gifts” – the universal message of giving a gift speaks volumes of thoughtfulness and value to many.
Families who understand this one simple truth of differing love languages opens the door of understanding and insight in celebrating differences as opposed to being frustrated by them. Dr. Chapman also brings understanding to loving your child and teenager through age specific books: “Five Love Languages of Children” and “Five Love Languages of Teenagers”.
Love is such a beautiful word…yet it seems so complicated to understand and speak. Take time to speak love to your family today in a way that they understand. “For God so loved the world that He gave”…..may your love begin with “giving”.
Grateful,
Marty
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