Linsanity, The Oscars, and You

Posted on February 25, 2012 by

Linsanity is sweeping the nation.

Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s has released a new ice cream flavor in honor of Jeremy Lin, the out-of-the-blue star point guard for the New York Knicks.

My advice for Jeremy Lin is to remain humble and ordinary.  He will be of greater use to God once his 15 minutes of fame has expired.

One of my dreams in to publish a book.  The fear accompanying my dream is that 3 months after the book is published no one will buy it, even after Barnes and Noble puts it on the Sidewalk Sale Table, listed at 99% off.

Do you dream about being famous, but know you never will be?

Perhaps you are very dissatisfied with yourself. You are not a genius, have no distinctive gifts, and are inconspicuous when it comes to having any special abilities. Mediocrity seems to be the measure of your existence. None of your days are noteworthy, except for their sameness and lack of zest. (1)

Do not let your lack of fame bother you.

God likes ordinary people.  No one in the Bible was every famous before God used them for His purposes.

Ordinary people are the ones who do great things for God.  Even if the world does not notice you, God does.

George Matheson had the right attitude:

“For my part, I will be satisfied not to have some great tombstone over my grave but just to know that common people will gather there once I am gone and say, ‘He was a good man, he told me about Jesus.’” (1)

It is better to stand in the shadow of Jesus, than for Jesus to stand in your shadow.

Jesus is the light of the world, let Him cast your shadow.

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  1. Reimann, Jim; Cowman, Mrs. Charles E. (2008-09-02). Streams in the Desert: 366 Daily Devotional Readings (p. 87). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
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There are no atheists …

Posted on February 24, 2012 by

… in foxholes, the science lab, or the back pew.

There are no atheists anywhere.  Every one is a person of faith.

The scientist, the atheist, the egomaniac, and the Christian are all people of faith.  Everyone believes in something, even if that something is nothing.

Two variables distinguish people in faith

1.  The object of their faith.

2.  How their faith shows itself.

The scientist has faith in evolutionary theory, the atheist in the absence of truth, and the egomaniac in self.  None of which adequately explain the beautiful intricacies of creation, love, hate, suffering, sin, mercy, forgiveness, or ethics.  Neither do these three provide a basis for hope, which poets, philosophers, and psychologists say is essential to healthy living without the malaise of despair.

The Christian’s faith in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is the only faith that provides a full explanation of these realities and essentials for living.

The Christian faith is solid not because of the faith of the Christian, but because of the object of that faith.  As F. B. Meyer said, “The Christian leans not so much upon the promises as upon the Promiser.” (1)

The second variable that distinguish everyone in their faith is how do they show their faith.  Is there faith:

  • A static intellectual belief?
  • A life lived from heart-felt conviction?

To believe is different than to live what you believe.  There is an inherent foolishness in not staking your whole life on what you believe.

Martin Luther wrote:

How does your faith show itself ? Faith must never be useless, deaf, dead, or in a state of decay.  But it must be a living tree that bursts forth with fruit. That’s the difference between genuine faith and false faith.  Where there is true faith, it will show itself in a person’s life. (2)

Passive faith accepts the Word as true,

But never moves. 

Active faith begins the work to do, 

And thereby proves.

Passive faith but praises in the light, 

When sun does shine.

Active faith will praise in darkest night

Which faith is thine? (3)

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  1. Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1998).
  2. Luther, Martin; Galvin, James C. (2009-05-19). Faith Alone: A Daily Devotional (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
  3. Reimann, Jim; Cowman, Mrs. Charles E. (2008-09-02). Streams in the Desert (p. 86). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
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Life Needs Suffering

Posted on February 23, 2012 by

Every branch that does bear fruit God prunes 

so that it will be even more fruitful.

John 15:2

The church had a hedge wrapped around the whole outside of the building.  Every year the men of the church trimmed the hedge.  Each year the hedge looked older and more tired than the year previous.

One member constantly complained about the hedge and the volunteers who care for it.  He told me frequently, “It is an ugly hedge because no one knows how to care for it!”

So I dared him, “Why don’t you take care of it?”

He accepted my dare, promising to trim the hedge the Saturday before Easter.  I  was thrilled, “The church grounds will look great for Easter!”

When I arrived for the Easter Sunrise Service, I noticed that the whole hedge had been cut down to a row of 5” stumps.  I was livid.  The hedge and the church yard looked awful.  But, by September, the hedge and the church grounds looked fantastic.

All of us are convinced that a life without suffering, without loss, without heart-ache is the best life.  God knows better.

Even though it hurts, God prunes us because He wants us to have a more fruitful life.  He cuts away parts of our lives that we love because He wants us to have a better life.   He knows that a life without the pain and suffering of pruning is worthless.  Jesus’ wisdom in John 15:2 describes the nature of God’s love.

When you are pondering WHY you are suffering, reflect on these words:

“Remember the vineyard and learn from it.  The gardener stops pruning and trimming the vine only when he expects nothing more from the vine during that season. He leaves it alone, because its fruitfulness is gone and further effort would yield no profit.  In the same way, freedom from suffering leads to uselessness. Do you want God to stop pruning your life?  Shall God leave you alone?” (1)

God knows the pruning hurts.  He knows that pain and suffering cut your heart and cause you to cry out to Him.

But He also knows that to give you a pain-free life is to give you a useless life.

“To exclude suffering from your life

means you will exclude life itself.”

C. S. Lewis (2)

+++

  1. Reimann, Jim; Cowman, Mrs. Charles E. Streams in the Desert (p. 81). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
  2. Lewis, C. S. A Year with C. S. Lewis (p. 55). Harper Collins, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
Posted in Trusting God, Suffering, God's Grace | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Ash Wednesday

Posted on February 22, 2012 by

Yesterday was Fat Tuesday.

Today is Ash Wednesday.

Yesterday was party day.

Today we confess.

I have always thought that these days were mismatched.

Excess immediately prior to penance.

Fat Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

It never made sense to me.

I always felt there was a better way to prepare for Ash Wednesday.

When Jesus turned towards Jerusalem near the end of His earthly ministry, He knew the end of the story.  He did not kick off the event with a wild party.  Why should I?

Oswald Chambers frequently asks, “Are you willing to become broken bread and pour-out wine for God?

This a good question to ask on Ash Wednesday and everyday during Lent.

Am I willing to broken be for Jesus?

He died on the cross, His bones broken, His veins gashed for my sake.

What sacrifice am I willing to make for Him?

Some believe giving up chocolate, candy, or a simple pleasure for Lent is a sacrifice

comparable to Jesus dying on the cross.  I do not.

If we are going to sacrifice like Jesus, then we need to offer God a sacrifice that pleases Him, not us.

David wrote in Psalm 51:17: “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit and a contrite heart.”

What are you willing to give up for Jesus?  What will break your heart to give up for God?

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Yielding to God

Posted on February 21, 2012 by

God’s will is done when our wills are broken. (1)

While driving to his favorite restaurant, a husband asked his wife, “Where would you like to go to dinner?”  After listing places where she’d love to eat, he continued on to the restaurant he had previously chosen.

A friend commenting on the disingenuousness of the husband’s inquiry, remarked, “Why ask what she wants, when you plan to do what you want?”

Ouch! I do the same to God!

As Christians, we want God’s will to be our will.  God, on the other hand, wants our will to be His.

Jesus knew this much.  He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Not my will, but your will be done” (Luke 22:42).  While Jesus was not keen on suffering a crucifixion, He was less keen on displacing God’s will.  He knew better.

Martin Luther wrote:

It pleases God when our wills are hindered and defeated.  It’s crucial that we allow our wills to be totally defeated so that only God’s will is done.  Christ’s will was good … the best one of all time.  If Christ had to surrender his will so that God’s will could be done, why do we make such a fuss over our own wills?” (1)

Being a Christian is a battle of wills.

We do not like our wills to be broken.

I was raised in a family where I was taught to think for myself and to stand by my convictions.  There are times when this inner-personal strength is a problem for me as a Christian.

I frequently tell others, “If I could, I’d change a few things in the Bible.”  It’s a honest confession and one which recognizes a truth I must battle daily.  My will is not God’s will.

When Jesus told the disciples that He was heading to Jerusalem to die on the cross, Peter took Jesus to task and rebuked him.  We are not sure what Peter said to Jesus, but we do know Jesus’ response to Peter: “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”  (Mark 8:33)

If Peter had his way, God’s redemptive work would not have been accomplished.

When you are in a battle of wills with God, it might be good to ask, “Where would I be today if Jesus had not yielded to God’s will?”

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  1. Luther, Martin; Galvin, James C. (2009-05-19). Faith Alone: A Daily Devotional (p. 49). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
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Doing It My Way

Posted on February 20, 2012 by

I am still confident of this: 

I will see the goodness of the Lord 

in the land of the living.

Psalm 27:13

Each morning I compose a schedule for the day, putting things in order in their proper time and place.  Each evening I go to bed exasperated that my day did not go as planned.

I am an agenda-maker. I know it’s a control issue.

I am willing to give my whole life to God, except for my schedule.  I continually ask God to tell me what he has planned for my day before I get out of the shower.  I will make sure His plans get on my schedule.

God wants my schedule.  I refuse to give it to Him because I want to insure that all gets done decently and in order.  It keeps God’s surprises from tripping me up and driving me nuts because His was were not my ways (see Isaiah 55:8)

Sarah Young reminds me:

“You worship a living Deity, not some idolatrous, man-made image. Your relationship with Him is meant to be vibrant and challenging, as He invades more and more areas of your life.  It is easy to make an idol of routine, finding security within the boundaries you build around your life.” (1)

Yes, I am guilty.  I want to set and establish the boundaries of my life.

Please do not misunderstand me, I will give God free reign in my life, as long as He stays in my boundaries.

God knows better.  In fact, many of my greatest joys have come into my life because God laughed at the arrogance of my desire to control Him.

If I had my way, I would not have met my wife, discovered the joy of hospice ministry, saved a man’s life, nor been blessed by serving at the Rockford Rescue Mission.

All of these gifts came after I fervently told God, “I do not plan to go there!”

Every morning God must laugh when He sees my schedule for Him for the day.

Richard Blackaby writes:

God is not interested in receiving secondhand glory from our activity. God receives glory from His activity through our lives. (2)

I prefer making and keeping my own plans.  God finds them to be stale, self-centered, and, if left alone, to be the death of me.  He wants me to enjoy the fresh, God-centered, life he has planned for me.

There once was an old woman who had planned her life around 7 husbands.  One day when once-again thirsty, she went to draw from the stagnant well of her schemes, when Jesus came to her.

Jesus made her a better offer:

Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.  (John 4:13-14)

When will I ever learn the water in His well will always be better than the water in mine.

+ + +

  1. Young, Sarah (2004-10-12). Jesus Calling (p. 51). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
  2. Blackaby, Richard (2006-12-01). Experiencing God Day By Day (p. 49). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Posted in Dumb things we do, God Wins, God's Grace, God's Will, Trusting God, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Whispering Lovers

Posted on February 19, 2012 by

God has spoken to us, let us speak to God  (1)

While you will always hear more from listening, those who love you want to know what is on your heart.

Praying is letting God know what is on your heart.

When I counsel couples whose marriages are in trouble, I am amazed at how much pain each person bears silently.  Anger is easily expressed, but hurt, pain, longing, the emotions which lay heavy the heart, are often suppressed.

Oh, but what a blessing when someone speaks from the heart, pouring out their longing and grief, not in rage, but in tears.  Whole marriages change in these precious moments.

I marvel at the tenderness offered when a spouse speaks from the heart.  The harsh words of anger and blame are covered and washed away with the soothing oil of compassionate words and consolation.

Speaking to God from the heart, praying, allows us to hear tender words of grace, forgiveness, and love from God.

If we want to hear the whispers of God’s love, we must speak to Him from  our heart.

What a privilege is intimate communion with the Father of our spirits! (1)

What a shame that so many of us turn from this privilege.

Pray to God and your soul will grow rich.

Pray and He will speak to you.  He will tell you of His love.  He will guide you through the valley.  He will lead you to still water.

There is nothing more precious than the whispers of lovers.

“Pray without ceasing.” Ephesians 6:18

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  1. Charles H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening : Daily Readings, Complete and unabridged; New modern edition. (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2006).
Posted in God Speaks, God's Grace, Love, Prayer, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment