Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come. Psalm 71:18
I’ve been gray since my mid-thirties. It has been said that my mother turned gray in her mid-thirties; so did my older sister but getting older has been a different thing.
Today I will attend the 60th birthday party for, Chuck, my same-age, life-long friend and cousin. Chuck is a western Minnesota Dutch farmer with a free-wheeling sense of humor and buoyant attitude towards life. He has had a kidney transplant and battles skin cancer with “this is part of life” attitude.
But we’re getting old, or should I say older. I don’t regret “getting older”, it’s part of life but what concerns me is how quickly I got here—to sixty, I mean. It seems like yesterday I was in the military; getting married 36 years ago seems only a short time ago; and the birth of our children still “fresh” in my memory in many ways. Like they say, “time flies when you’re having fun.”
At sixty, I believe most of the world views us as a “has been”. That ok, I don’t have anything more to prove but it’s definitely not time to give up, whine and complain about getting old, and in “horseman terms” complacently wait for the final long trip to the glue factory.
The Lord has called us to be His witnesses all the days of our lives. Even when I am old and gray” – Psalm 71:18. Our prayer should be that God would not forsake us. Our side of this picture is that we are to declare to the next generation God’s power and might. If I am 60, 70, 80 or 90, I have a job to do: “declare God’s power to the next generation, God’s might to all who are to come.” I believe what He is saying is leave a legacy; a legacy of God’s love and faithfulness demonstrated by His power and might.
As I look back over my sixty years of life, I look with amazement how God has worked. He did things I did not understand; He did things that looked like failure and tragedy and turned them into good…things too wonderful for me to fully comprehend.
What will our next generation say about us? He sure was a “good fella” or will they declare and share the stories of the work of God’s sovereign hand in our lives. Will the Lord be lifted up or will they just refer to us as “another good fella”? What stories will they tell—good fella stories or stories of a mighty and powerful God’s work in our lives? What will your legacy be?
Lord, even when I’m old, may I declare Your power and might. May I always be found faithful. Come Lord Jesus, come. Amen.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Ministry Suggestions
In response to my last blog, I was asked to provide some suggestions on what we could do as direct ministry. I am including a list that may spark your imagination. BUT, the first and foremost thing you need to do is PRAY for God’s leading in what He wants you to do. Remember, God has given us all talents to be used to glorify Him—let the glory begin!! Some ideas:
Clean up vacant lots in the neighborhood (get permission)
Paint lousy looking houses—church buys paint; tenants to work together
Pick up roadsides—Do NOT expect a sign
Host a single mom’s night out/young mom’s night out
Watch kids for a mom to do something alone
Mow lawn for someone--busy young family, old people
Be aggressive and share excess produce with neighbors you do not know
Take cookies & go visit old people in community for 15 minutes
Wash someone’s car
Guerilla service young people – when people are gone, mow lawn, clean flower beds, scoop snow, trim trees, pick up trash anonymously. Leave card – "Guerillas for Jesus"
When you go shopping, ask neighbors if they need anything
Help people with budget, insurance forms, VA forms, social security forms, etc.
Write letters to local service people
Assist soldier’s family
Write letters for nursing home patients
Develop church web page; allow people to leave prayer requests anonymously.
Follow up on a prayer request to see how things are going
Use church web page as community news site/bulletin board
Rent tent for county fair/community function. Recliners; cold water fountain; wash feet; massages with massagers.
Teach kids/adults things: to fix bikes, bake, sew, use computers, cell phones, digital cameras, etc.
Offer to clean up county property
Visit shut ins
Take someone to the store, doctor, etc.
Go out for coffee with someone you normally would not go with
Tell someone what God has done in your life—tell your story
Monthly birthday party at church
Volunteer to work at the Thrift Shop and/or Hope Pregnancy Center
Read to children or adults
Make a meal for a neighbor—bring it over or invite them in
Interview older person about their life and write about it
Interview a veteran and record it for history
Make & fly a kite with someone
Share hobbies, collections
Organize “electronic free” night
Take a neighbor child or adult out for an ice cream cone
Help someone with gardening
Visit someone who has lost a family member in the last year & talk about that person
I'd like to hear your ideas, too. May God bless you in your ministry.
Clean up vacant lots in the neighborhood (get permission)
Paint lousy looking houses—church buys paint; tenants to work together
Pick up roadsides—Do NOT expect a sign
Host a single mom’s night out/young mom’s night out
Watch kids for a mom to do something alone
Mow lawn for someone--busy young family, old people
Be aggressive and share excess produce with neighbors you do not know
Take cookies & go visit old people in community for 15 minutes
Wash someone’s car
Guerilla service young people – when people are gone, mow lawn, clean flower beds, scoop snow, trim trees, pick up trash anonymously. Leave card – "Guerillas for Jesus"
When you go shopping, ask neighbors if they need anything
Help people with budget, insurance forms, VA forms, social security forms, etc.
Write letters to local service people
Assist soldier’s family
Write letters for nursing home patients
Develop church web page; allow people to leave prayer requests anonymously.
Follow up on a prayer request to see how things are going
Use church web page as community news site/bulletin board
Rent tent for county fair/community function. Recliners; cold water fountain; wash feet; massages with massagers.
Teach kids/adults things: to fix bikes, bake, sew, use computers, cell phones, digital cameras, etc.
Offer to clean up county property
Visit shut ins
Take someone to the store, doctor, etc.
Go out for coffee with someone you normally would not go with
Tell someone what God has done in your life—tell your story
Monthly birthday party at church
Volunteer to work at the Thrift Shop and/or Hope Pregnancy Center
Read to children or adults
Make a meal for a neighbor—bring it over or invite them in
Interview older person about their life and write about it
Interview a veteran and record it for history
Make & fly a kite with someone
Share hobbies, collections
Organize “electronic free” night
Take a neighbor child or adult out for an ice cream cone
Help someone with gardening
Visit someone who has lost a family member in the last year & talk about that person
I'd like to hear your ideas, too. May God bless you in your ministry.
Friday, June 22, 2007
What is ACEDIA?
Acedia is a culture of apathy and boredom. In William Bennett’s book “The Book of Virtues” it makes reference to America currently experiencing a culture of boredom and apathy. We live in a time of “so what” and “whatever”. Sad to say, the same culture has taken root into the church.
I have preached in 27 different churches in Central and Western Minnesota over the last 8 years, and the best of our knowledge, only 3 of those churches are holding steady or growing. The other 24 have lost significant numbers of people. The young people are gone or leaving and I don’t blame them. Why?
Our young people are bored to death. In a culture that adores “extreme” behavior—bungee jumping, stupid and dangerous stunts, sky-diving and “extreme” immoral behavior, excessive drinking, and “girls gone wild”, we the church, sit transfixed while a generation flees the church. Young people do not want to be entertained. They want to be challenged to live out their faith; faith and actions, faith and deeds. Live on the edge, do good not talk about it. Sad to say, I believe we slumber while a generation slips into hell.
We say one thing and do another. Oh, we sing about, preach about, “marching into hell for a heavenly cause” but in reality we don’t move. We believe being moral and good is the sole purpose and extent of our faith. That’s good but we are to HATE EVIL AND CLING TO WHAT IS GOOD. (Romans 12:9-11). We are to be men and women who “live out” their faith not just go through the motions. Titus 2:12-14: "It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."
We are sitting; glad God has chosen us, acting moral and good while the world around us goes to hell. We are to hate evil and cling to what is good. Let’s do it.
In Matthew 28, Jesus said to us, “GO”. We say “come.” They (the world) are not coming; as a matter of fact, our pews are emptying out at a rate that alarms me yet I find few, if any people concerned (pastors and church leaders included).
I have spoken about his topic on three different occasions. I feel it has been met with indifference by the older people but with appreciation by the younger people (younger people is people under 35). If our experiences in Western and Central Minnesota are any indication of the true spiritual state of our churches, we are in deep trouble. I can’t soften it in anyway. I am tired of our excuses for our deadness. In Matthew 24:12 it says: "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold." I believe most have grown cold.
“You’re just a complainer, Jerry,” they say. May I suggest some action?
Each and every one of us should give one hour a week direct ministry in our community. If we do that and we have 200 people in church, effectively we live out 800 hours of direct ministry in our communities in one month. This would transform our rural towns. For the believer, we would be stretched, we’d be scared, we will be pushed into areas of own communities where we’ve never been before. We will find talents we never knew we had. It will be exciting not boring. Living out our faith is exciting and challenging. The community will benefit. How? It will see the love of Christ demonstrated to them. When we live out our faith developing relationships outside the church, this makes easy our invitation to know Christ. It flows naturally, it’s not contrived and, all this would not require one committee meeting.
What do we do? Help people! We all like to help. Pray for eyes to see needs and act. I know what you’re saying, “I’m so busy.” Yes we are. Let’s take a look at our time:
168 hours in one week:
- 24 hours for all day Sunday off
- 48 hours for 8 hours of sleep for 6 days
- 12 hours for family time of 2 hours/day x 6 days
- 52 hours work & commute
32 hours remaining
So, if you perform 1 hour per week of direct ministry that would be 1/32nd of our life. Is this too much to ask?
Open our eyes—use us to your glory. Amen. Come quickly Lord Jesus, come.
I have preached in 27 different churches in Central and Western Minnesota over the last 8 years, and the best of our knowledge, only 3 of those churches are holding steady or growing. The other 24 have lost significant numbers of people. The young people are gone or leaving and I don’t blame them. Why?
Our young people are bored to death. In a culture that adores “extreme” behavior—bungee jumping, stupid and dangerous stunts, sky-diving and “extreme” immoral behavior, excessive drinking, and “girls gone wild”, we the church, sit transfixed while a generation flees the church. Young people do not want to be entertained. They want to be challenged to live out their faith; faith and actions, faith and deeds. Live on the edge, do good not talk about it. Sad to say, I believe we slumber while a generation slips into hell.
We say one thing and do another. Oh, we sing about, preach about, “marching into hell for a heavenly cause” but in reality we don’t move. We believe being moral and good is the sole purpose and extent of our faith. That’s good but we are to HATE EVIL AND CLING TO WHAT IS GOOD. (Romans 12:9-11). We are to be men and women who “live out” their faith not just go through the motions. Titus 2:12-14: "It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."
We are sitting; glad God has chosen us, acting moral and good while the world around us goes to hell. We are to hate evil and cling to what is good. Let’s do it.
In Matthew 28, Jesus said to us, “GO”. We say “come.” They (the world) are not coming; as a matter of fact, our pews are emptying out at a rate that alarms me yet I find few, if any people concerned (pastors and church leaders included).
I have spoken about his topic on three different occasions. I feel it has been met with indifference by the older people but with appreciation by the younger people (younger people is people under 35). If our experiences in Western and Central Minnesota are any indication of the true spiritual state of our churches, we are in deep trouble. I can’t soften it in anyway. I am tired of our excuses for our deadness. In Matthew 24:12 it says: "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold." I believe most have grown cold.
“You’re just a complainer, Jerry,” they say. May I suggest some action?
Each and every one of us should give one hour a week direct ministry in our community. If we do that and we have 200 people in church, effectively we live out 800 hours of direct ministry in our communities in one month. This would transform our rural towns. For the believer, we would be stretched, we’d be scared, we will be pushed into areas of own communities where we’ve never been before. We will find talents we never knew we had. It will be exciting not boring. Living out our faith is exciting and challenging. The community will benefit. How? It will see the love of Christ demonstrated to them. When we live out our faith developing relationships outside the church, this makes easy our invitation to know Christ. It flows naturally, it’s not contrived and, all this would not require one committee meeting.
What do we do? Help people! We all like to help. Pray for eyes to see needs and act. I know what you’re saying, “I’m so busy.” Yes we are. Let’s take a look at our time:
168 hours in one week:
- 24 hours for all day Sunday off
- 48 hours for 8 hours of sleep for 6 days
- 12 hours for family time of 2 hours/day x 6 days
- 52 hours work & commute
32 hours remaining
So, if you perform 1 hour per week of direct ministry that would be 1/32nd of our life. Is this too much to ask?
Open our eyes—use us to your glory. Amen. Come quickly Lord Jesus, come.
Friday, June 15, 2007
None Dare Call It Sin
Hebrews 4:13 - Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Representative William Jefferson, Democrat from Louisiana, was indicted Monday on Federal charges of racketeering, soliciting bribes and money laundering…This is part of the first paragraph in an Associated Press article written by Laura Jakes Jordan in regards to Representative Jefferson’s indictment.
I was in my car driving when I heard comments on the radio concerning the Jefferson indictment pitting the Right against the Left and the Left against the Right. I am concerned. I do not know all of the details; he is innocent until proven guilty but this is not a question of the Right verses Left or the Left verses the Right, this issue is dishonesty; it is sin, not Left or Right politics.
We as a nation have failed to call sin for what it is—SIN. We can spin it, call it reactionary political payback, a misstep, a misunderstanding, a personal failure, but none dare call it sin. Even in our churches today, we seldom talk about these things—sin, hell, heaven, abuse and divorce.
Research indicates most people feel they will get to heaven some way, some how. I mean we are for the most part “good fellas” aren’t’ we? Oh, I may tip a few now and then but “at least I’m not a drunk like Bill”. Unless we realize the standard we need to keep does not arise from the standard of our next door neighbor but from Christ’s holy standard, we are in big trouble. Unless I address the sin issues in my life, I WILL at SOMETIME have to deal with the reality of sin and the consequences of hell and the hope of heaven. Remember…to whom we must give account.
Have I dealt with my sin? Have you dealt with your sin? Remember the gift of grace and forgiveness which reconciles us to God and brings us peace. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
Representative William Jefferson, Democrat from Louisiana, was indicted Monday on Federal charges of racketeering, soliciting bribes and money laundering…This is part of the first paragraph in an Associated Press article written by Laura Jakes Jordan in regards to Representative Jefferson’s indictment.
I was in my car driving when I heard comments on the radio concerning the Jefferson indictment pitting the Right against the Left and the Left against the Right. I am concerned. I do not know all of the details; he is innocent until proven guilty but this is not a question of the Right verses Left or the Left verses the Right, this issue is dishonesty; it is sin, not Left or Right politics.
We as a nation have failed to call sin for what it is—SIN. We can spin it, call it reactionary political payback, a misstep, a misunderstanding, a personal failure, but none dare call it sin. Even in our churches today, we seldom talk about these things—sin, hell, heaven, abuse and divorce.
Research indicates most people feel they will get to heaven some way, some how. I mean we are for the most part “good fellas” aren’t’ we? Oh, I may tip a few now and then but “at least I’m not a drunk like Bill”. Unless we realize the standard we need to keep does not arise from the standard of our next door neighbor but from Christ’s holy standard, we are in big trouble. Unless I address the sin issues in my life, I WILL at SOMETIME have to deal with the reality of sin and the consequences of hell and the hope of heaven. Remember…to whom we must give account.
Have I dealt with my sin? Have you dealt with your sin? Remember the gift of grace and forgiveness which reconciles us to God and brings us peace. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Using words we seldom think about
I use words every day, some with little thought of what they really mean. In scripture; we are urged to trust God. What does trust mean? The short dictionary meaning is… “A firm belief in the honesty, truthfulness, justice or power of a person or thing; confidence, credence, confident expectation and hope.”
Trusting God or anyone else involves knowing them well enough to trust them. I have insurance with Teresa; I trust her because I know her. I do not have to read all the fine print. Why? Because I know her. Jeremiah 9:23-24 says: This is what the Lord says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the Lord.”
How about YOU and the Lord? How well do you know Him? Well enough to trust Him for all things? Or have you just heard of Him and honestly do not know Him? Job 42:1-6 in the Message says: Job answered God: "I'm convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans. You asked, 'Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?' I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head. You told me, 'Listen, and let me do the talking. Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.' I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand - from my own eyes and ears! (NIV states: “I heard of you but now I know you.”) I'm sorry - forgive me. I'll never do that again, I promise! I'll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor."
Jesus desires a relationship with us. He gave His life so we could have that relationship. Trusting God involves knowing Him. How do we know Him? Read His word, develop a prayer life, and continue to meet with His children and worship Him.
The truth is, we will never FULLY know Him because how can the finite know the infinite Jesus came to be our mediator, Lord and Savior. Our relationship with Jesus and the resulting walk through life are out of this world! Come Lord Jesus, come.
Trusting God or anyone else involves knowing them well enough to trust them. I have insurance with Teresa; I trust her because I know her. I do not have to read all the fine print. Why? Because I know her. Jeremiah 9:23-24 says: This is what the Lord says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the Lord.”
How about YOU and the Lord? How well do you know Him? Well enough to trust Him for all things? Or have you just heard of Him and honestly do not know Him? Job 42:1-6 in the Message says: Job answered God: "I'm convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans. You asked, 'Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?' I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head. You told me, 'Listen, and let me do the talking. Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.' I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand - from my own eyes and ears! (NIV states: “I heard of you but now I know you.”) I'm sorry - forgive me. I'll never do that again, I promise! I'll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor."
Jesus desires a relationship with us. He gave His life so we could have that relationship. Trusting God involves knowing Him. How do we know Him? Read His word, develop a prayer life, and continue to meet with His children and worship Him.
The truth is, we will never FULLY know Him because how can the finite know the infinite Jesus came to be our mediator, Lord and Savior. Our relationship with Jesus and the resulting walk through life are out of this world! Come Lord Jesus, come.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
A Wounded Soldier’s Mom
I meet many different people, some through work (mainly in the twin cities area), some through preaching (Central and Western Minnesota) and some just being on the farm. Recently I met the mom of a wounded American soldier; I have never talked to her before. Her son is home after a long recovery in hospitals but he is not healed. As the mom said, he will never be completely healed. Tears poured down her face as she talked.
In war, more than the soldier gets wounded; his wife is wounded, his mom and dad are wounded, the rest of the family is shaken and wounded. Their world is turned upside down, the constant reminder of media statistics pound on their psyche. The wounds are permanent, it would be completely depressing if not for hope.
I asked her what the family is doing to heal. She said she talks to mothers of soldiers who are severely wounded. She cried as she told me about having to bring a form of “reality” to the families whose loved ones have been severely wounded in combat. They all want it to be “over” and it’s preferred that this happens quickly. Through her tears, she said it will not “get over quickly” but they must persevere and hang on; it will be a lifetime of coping for most.
In previous wars, sadly many severely wounded died on the battlefield; they didn’t come home. Today, more severely injured are coming home and we are forced to deal with this sobering reality. We will see them on the street, at ball games, at family reunions, at work, at church. Yes, they will be there to serve as a constant reminder of the reality of war. No longer will we be able to turn away and pretend we don’t see. We will have to deal with it, whether we like it or not. Yes, our tranquil Western Minnesota rural lifestyle will be intruded upon by the reality of war and its aftermath.
As I stood in the color guard on Memorial Day, I realized most of us are Viet Nam era vets. I don’t know if anyone of their group has ever told their story; the reality is, most people don’t give a damn if they heard it at all. If we don’t talk about the past, it doesn’t exist and not talking is the protocol for our day. But today these wounded vets are walking our streets, living next to us, worshipping with us and will serve as a constant reminder we all need to heal. Oh, we won’t heal completely on this side of heaven but we have that hope that one day we will all be completely healed.
It is with the hope of Christ that they can carry on. The hurts are real and lasting; the pain just does not go away. The tears are real and fall often and we must be here to listen to the hurting (I mean really listen) and share hope and love. Love them not just in word but in action. Live out our faith with deeds. Remember God’s word says, “No greater love is this than a man lay down his life for a friend.” Remember, every veteran who has ever signed on the dotted line was willing to lay down his life for us. We need to thank each and every one for this unselfish act of devotion.
In the meantime, let’s pray for peace, healing and protection for our soldiers—those serving and those healing. We need to pray for wisdom for our leaders in this trouble time. May we serve those in need and work to bring an end to all pain and suffering and pray for the Lord’s return.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus, come. Amen.
In war, more than the soldier gets wounded; his wife is wounded, his mom and dad are wounded, the rest of the family is shaken and wounded. Their world is turned upside down, the constant reminder of media statistics pound on their psyche. The wounds are permanent, it would be completely depressing if not for hope.
I asked her what the family is doing to heal. She said she talks to mothers of soldiers who are severely wounded. She cried as she told me about having to bring a form of “reality” to the families whose loved ones have been severely wounded in combat. They all want it to be “over” and it’s preferred that this happens quickly. Through her tears, she said it will not “get over quickly” but they must persevere and hang on; it will be a lifetime of coping for most.
In previous wars, sadly many severely wounded died on the battlefield; they didn’t come home. Today, more severely injured are coming home and we are forced to deal with this sobering reality. We will see them on the street, at ball games, at family reunions, at work, at church. Yes, they will be there to serve as a constant reminder of the reality of war. No longer will we be able to turn away and pretend we don’t see. We will have to deal with it, whether we like it or not. Yes, our tranquil Western Minnesota rural lifestyle will be intruded upon by the reality of war and its aftermath.
As I stood in the color guard on Memorial Day, I realized most of us are Viet Nam era vets. I don’t know if anyone of their group has ever told their story; the reality is, most people don’t give a damn if they heard it at all. If we don’t talk about the past, it doesn’t exist and not talking is the protocol for our day. But today these wounded vets are walking our streets, living next to us, worshipping with us and will serve as a constant reminder we all need to heal. Oh, we won’t heal completely on this side of heaven but we have that hope that one day we will all be completely healed.
It is with the hope of Christ that they can carry on. The hurts are real and lasting; the pain just does not go away. The tears are real and fall often and we must be here to listen to the hurting (I mean really listen) and share hope and love. Love them not just in word but in action. Live out our faith with deeds. Remember God’s word says, “No greater love is this than a man lay down his life for a friend.” Remember, every veteran who has ever signed on the dotted line was willing to lay down his life for us. We need to thank each and every one for this unselfish act of devotion.
In the meantime, let’s pray for peace, healing and protection for our soldiers—those serving and those healing. We need to pray for wisdom for our leaders in this trouble time. May we serve those in need and work to bring an end to all pain and suffering and pray for the Lord’s return.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus, come. Amen.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
The Manipulation of Providence
If I’m going to read a book, I prefer non-fiction. I mean, why waste your time reading something man created, something which never happened. I prefer the real thing; “truth is better than fiction” it’s often said. Yes, I guess I prefer non-fiction.
But I understand why fiction is attractive. To the writer, he can manipulate providence. In a creative way he can be God, creating characters, bestowing on them greatness or debauchery. I’m impressed with fiction writers; their span and depth of creativity is impressive. I can understand how they can be consumed with writing fiction; creative bursts, using fiction to lift up, using fiction to challenge the status quo. For the creative moment they are a “manipulator of providence”. J. P. Philips used that term in a book “Your God is too Small.” I don’t remember what he said, but it still sets me thinking.
Even if a writer has the gift of weaving a tale of intrigue and suspense, it is still but a “tale” played out on the stage of time and eternity. The writer weaves his story and gives no thought let’s say, to gravity; he just assumes it’s there. God could for a moment suspend gravity and the world would explode or implode and the writer’s creative work would mean nothing. Yet God allows some of man’s great creative work to endure; great works of literature, the genius of great art, building of structures, and technology that out lives us.
I can manipulate reality in the garden. Creating something more beautiful than if left to itself. BUT God can send in a hail storm and wind and change or eliminate my garden in a moment making me realize God is still sovereign and mighty and I’m just a bit player on the stage of life and time. This shouldn’t make me feel depressed or inferior. My ego shouldn’t suffer; I shouldn’t lose any sleep due to unwarranted worry. He is God and He’s still on the throne and all of men’s creative outbursts are subservient to His sovereign rule. I will let Him be God. I won’t crawl on my belly in the dirt but I will stand amazed at His power and grace and it’s by that grace and mercy that I can stand. I need to thank Him and I will stand directly, totally in awe—awe reserved only for Him.
Thank you Lord, that you are God. Thank you Lord, that we are not God. I trust your sovereign rule. I’m amazed and in awe and I thank you. Amen
But I understand why fiction is attractive. To the writer, he can manipulate providence. In a creative way he can be God, creating characters, bestowing on them greatness or debauchery. I’m impressed with fiction writers; their span and depth of creativity is impressive. I can understand how they can be consumed with writing fiction; creative bursts, using fiction to lift up, using fiction to challenge the status quo. For the creative moment they are a “manipulator of providence”. J. P. Philips used that term in a book “Your God is too Small.” I don’t remember what he said, but it still sets me thinking.
Even if a writer has the gift of weaving a tale of intrigue and suspense, it is still but a “tale” played out on the stage of time and eternity. The writer weaves his story and gives no thought let’s say, to gravity; he just assumes it’s there. God could for a moment suspend gravity and the world would explode or implode and the writer’s creative work would mean nothing. Yet God allows some of man’s great creative work to endure; great works of literature, the genius of great art, building of structures, and technology that out lives us.
I can manipulate reality in the garden. Creating something more beautiful than if left to itself. BUT God can send in a hail storm and wind and change or eliminate my garden in a moment making me realize God is still sovereign and mighty and I’m just a bit player on the stage of life and time. This shouldn’t make me feel depressed or inferior. My ego shouldn’t suffer; I shouldn’t lose any sleep due to unwarranted worry. He is God and He’s still on the throne and all of men’s creative outbursts are subservient to His sovereign rule. I will let Him be God. I won’t crawl on my belly in the dirt but I will stand amazed at His power and grace and it’s by that grace and mercy that I can stand. I need to thank Him and I will stand directly, totally in awe—awe reserved only for Him.
Thank you Lord, that you are God. Thank you Lord, that we are not God. I trust your sovereign rule. I’m amazed and in awe and I thank you. Amen
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Early Morning on the Prairie
The prairie is usually windy but at sunrise this morning it’s dead still. It’s spring time in agricultural country. Sometimes in the early morning the prairie tranquility is broken by the drone of the yellow bi-plane crop duster working on the Voelz brothers’ farm; he has come this morning. He swoops low at break-neck speed, rising above the lake bottom trees, seeming to miss them only by a few feet. The bright yellow plane sparkles in the morning sun; a bright contrast to the dark green fields and beautiful blue sky.
The spray hangs over the field as a man made mist. It doesn’t hang long but settles on the sugar beet field to do its work so I can have sugar in my coffee. (Why did I say that, I hardly drink coffee much less with sugar?) It’s for you to have sugar in your coffee, for latte schmatty, whatever.
After the plane leaves the area, the quietness returns. Geese honk at the pond; meadow larks share their beautiful call, red wing blackbirds proudly whistle their distinctive song; blue jays jostle and play at the bird feeders; pheasants call back and forth to one another; a deer comes out from Judit’s grove to drink at our pond. Morning Doves coo, sounding far away yet I see them in the black walnut tree on the east side of the garden.
As I sit here, Judi has a vase of flowers on the table with lilacs, Columbine, and fern peony blossoms; they are more beautiful than anything man could create. I realize I am blessed. May I never forget it; may I never take it for granted.
Isaiah 42:5-9 - This is what God the Lord says-- he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: "I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. "I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you."
The Lord is good. Amen
The spray hangs over the field as a man made mist. It doesn’t hang long but settles on the sugar beet field to do its work so I can have sugar in my coffee. (Why did I say that, I hardly drink coffee much less with sugar?) It’s for you to have sugar in your coffee, for latte schmatty, whatever.
After the plane leaves the area, the quietness returns. Geese honk at the pond; meadow larks share their beautiful call, red wing blackbirds proudly whistle their distinctive song; blue jays jostle and play at the bird feeders; pheasants call back and forth to one another; a deer comes out from Judit’s grove to drink at our pond. Morning Doves coo, sounding far away yet I see them in the black walnut tree on the east side of the garden.
As I sit here, Judi has a vase of flowers on the table with lilacs, Columbine, and fern peony blossoms; they are more beautiful than anything man could create. I realize I am blessed. May I never forget it; may I never take it for granted.
Isaiah 42:5-9 - This is what God the Lord says-- he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: "I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. "I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you."
The Lord is good. Amen
Saturday, May 19, 2007
On Being Well-Fed Sheep And Loving It or Laying by the Feed Bunk and Loving It
In the 21st Chapter of John, Peter is reinstated by Jesus. Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
In the United States today, we as Christians are well fed sheep. I mean in the spiritual sense (in the physical sense also). We have freedom of religion, abundance of scriptures, Christian radio, books; satellite TV with “Christian” channels, lots of impressive church buildings with impressive “programs”. Yes, we are well fed and we like it that way.
When animals (sheep, cows, hogs) are “well fed” they lay down. Remember “contented cows make contented milk” an old Kemps Dairy ad on TV? Well, fed sheep lay down. Yes, we’ve laid down by the bunk…and we are not going to be moved. We like hanging around the bunk. It’s warm-fuzzy and familiar. It’s safe.
There are two types of sheep—breeding stock and feeders. Breeding stock’s purpose is to multiply, produce more sheep. Feeders are short-lived; their only purpose is to be slaughtered for meat. Breeding stock are around longer (more years) thus they are sheared of their wool and they eventually are sent to slaughter also, laying down their lives for us so we have warm clothes and meat to eat.
What kind of sheep are you? Breeding stock? Have you multiplied your self spiritually? Have you been willingly sheared for the benefit of others? Do you give of yourself, your time, effort, money so others can benefit? Or are you a feeder lamb whose only purpose is to be slaughtered for meat? Are you willing to lay down your life for a friend?
What kind of sheep are you? Well-fed sheep? Are you lying contented by the bunk, well fed, and satisfied while the world goes to hell? We belch and doze and it doesn’t matter to us because we’re well fed sheep and we like it that way.
Mount up with the Holy Spirit; become an attack lamb pack. Put on sheep’s armor and attack the gates of hell. Well fed contented sheep or Holy Spirit inspired, Godly armor protected attack lamb pack? Rise up oh men of God. Go to work. Live life to its fullest. Love Jesus and live vibrant, expectant lives for God’s glory.
In the United States today, we as Christians are well fed sheep. I mean in the spiritual sense (in the physical sense also). We have freedom of religion, abundance of scriptures, Christian radio, books; satellite TV with “Christian” channels, lots of impressive church buildings with impressive “programs”. Yes, we are well fed and we like it that way.
When animals (sheep, cows, hogs) are “well fed” they lay down. Remember “contented cows make contented milk” an old Kemps Dairy ad on TV? Well, fed sheep lay down. Yes, we’ve laid down by the bunk…and we are not going to be moved. We like hanging around the bunk. It’s warm-fuzzy and familiar. It’s safe.
There are two types of sheep—breeding stock and feeders. Breeding stock’s purpose is to multiply, produce more sheep. Feeders are short-lived; their only purpose is to be slaughtered for meat. Breeding stock are around longer (more years) thus they are sheared of their wool and they eventually are sent to slaughter also, laying down their lives for us so we have warm clothes and meat to eat.
What kind of sheep are you? Breeding stock? Have you multiplied your self spiritually? Have you been willingly sheared for the benefit of others? Do you give of yourself, your time, effort, money so others can benefit? Or are you a feeder lamb whose only purpose is to be slaughtered for meat? Are you willing to lay down your life for a friend?
What kind of sheep are you? Well-fed sheep? Are you lying contented by the bunk, well fed, and satisfied while the world goes to hell? We belch and doze and it doesn’t matter to us because we’re well fed sheep and we like it that way.
Mount up with the Holy Spirit; become an attack lamb pack. Put on sheep’s armor and attack the gates of hell. Well fed contented sheep or Holy Spirit inspired, Godly armor protected attack lamb pack? Rise up oh men of God. Go to work. Live life to its fullest. Love Jesus and live vibrant, expectant lives for God’s glory.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
On Being Still
The phone rings, the e-mails need to be read, people come through the office door with problems. The world is busy; we rush head-long into another busy, fearful day.
Luke 1:74 in the New Living Translation says: "We have been rescued from our enemies, so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness forever." Luke 1:74 - "to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear" (NIV). Our days are fractured into a number of time sensitive incidents that need attention now. Oh, for tyranny of the urgent.
The Lord tells us to be still. Ps 37:7 – “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” I don’t think we’re very good at it, being still that is. I hear little, if any, talk about meditating on the Lord-being still before Him. Are we afraid to be quiet? Why do we need background “noise” (radio, TV, music) to occupy our mind? How long has it been since you just listened to the Lord; not prayed, not worried, did not become antsy, just waited and listened, became still…still before Him?
It says in Ps 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Ask the Lord to visit you, pray for spiritual protection (John 17:15 – “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”) and wait and listen; just listen…Be still and know…Be still and know…
Luke 1:74 in the New Living Translation says: "We have been rescued from our enemies, so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness forever." Luke 1:74 - "to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear" (NIV). Our days are fractured into a number of time sensitive incidents that need attention now. Oh, for tyranny of the urgent.
The Lord tells us to be still. Ps 37:7 – “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” I don’t think we’re very good at it, being still that is. I hear little, if any, talk about meditating on the Lord-being still before Him. Are we afraid to be quiet? Why do we need background “noise” (radio, TV, music) to occupy our mind? How long has it been since you just listened to the Lord; not prayed, not worried, did not become antsy, just waited and listened, became still…still before Him?
It says in Ps 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Ask the Lord to visit you, pray for spiritual protection (John 17:15 – “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”) and wait and listen; just listen…Be still and know…Be still and know…
Friday, May 11, 2007
How are we using our imagination?
Crawford Gribben, writer and university teacher in the UK, has written an article on a lesson to be learned from the Virginia Tech tragedy. In it he writes: “It’s not fashionable to lament the slow death of the Western imagination but there can be little doubt that the death of our collective imagination, and our collective preoccupation with scenes of violence and death has lead to repeated incidents of enacted violence. Our collective imagination is the key to our social future—what we choose to fill our minds with is a real indication of what our societies will choose to become."
Luke 6:45 - The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
Romans 8:6 - The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;
Collective imagination - do we use ours for good or are we just occupying space? What goes in determines what comes out. What are we putting in our mind? Do we dwell on the negative things of life?
What do we think about when there’s nothing to think about? Do you like what you found in these times? No, I’m not suggesting a “Positive Mental Attitude Rally” but I am suggesting we look for the good. Fill our minds and hearts with God’s grace, patience, tenderness, and forgiveness. In Romans 2:4 it says: “Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?” Let’s put these things in our mind; it leads us to repentance. Let’s go live our faith. Be light in the darkness. Be hope in a sea of despair. We must use our collective imagination to the Glory of God. God help us. Amen
Luke 6:45 - The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
Romans 8:6 - The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;
Collective imagination - do we use ours for good or are we just occupying space? What goes in determines what comes out. What are we putting in our mind? Do we dwell on the negative things of life?
What do we think about when there’s nothing to think about? Do you like what you found in these times? No, I’m not suggesting a “Positive Mental Attitude Rally” but I am suggesting we look for the good. Fill our minds and hearts with God’s grace, patience, tenderness, and forgiveness. In Romans 2:4 it says: “Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?” Let’s put these things in our mind; it leads us to repentance. Let’s go live our faith. Be light in the darkness. Be hope in a sea of despair. We must use our collective imagination to the Glory of God. God help us. Amen
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Some Good News
When I go to a church for the first time, it’s always interesting. During the last year, I was asked to speak at a church where I had never spoken before. Our contact with this church is through some members we know socially. This church has quite a variety of people attending; I was impressed. The pastor of the church asked if I would speak on a specific topic, “Using our spiritual gifts”, which I did.
In my sermon I said, if we are believers, we have a spiritual gift and God uses people of all ages and talents. He uses what the world would call insignificant people. One example of insignificant people is the servant girl to King Naaman’s wife; she was unnamed. She encourages Naaman to see a prophet in Samaria so he could be healed. 2 Kings 5:2-5: Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. "By all means, go," the king of Aram replied.” King Naaman listened to the servant girl and he was healed by God.
Sometimes we view the use of spiritual gifts as gifts used by only the people in the front of the church—the pastor, worship leaders, praise team, elders and deacons, board members, etc. as using their spiritual gifts. Not so. If you’re wiping the nose of a little child in the nursery, you’re being used by God. Oh, the Body may never “see” your work and dedication but God does; for just as He notices the nameless servant girl of Naaman, He notices your work and dedication. (“Whatever you do unto the least of these, you do unto Me.”)
As I spoke, I noticed a woman sitting in the back off to the side; she listened intently to my sermon. As she turned her head, I could see tears in her eyes. We talked after the service; she was a first time worshipper at the church and this is what she told me. She said: “If you knew my past, God wouldn’t use me.” I reassured her that God has always used men and women “with a past” to carry His message of hope to a hurting world. Romans 3:22-24: This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
God uses flawed, sinful, cracked-pot people like us to further His kingdom. Through the blood of Christ, He forgives our sins. Psalm 103:12 says: “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” He uses humble, forgiven people to further His kingdom.
Paul wanted to know the power of Jesus resurrection (Phil. 3:10: I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death ) Do you want to know the power of Jesus’ resurrection? Has your life been transformed by the power of Christ’s resurrection? Yes, God uses forgiven, transformed, insignificant people (insignificant in the world’s eyes) to further His kingdom. Hold up your head. Move forward. Put on your armor (Eph. 6). Go to battle. You are a child of The King not a king. THE King, Lord God Almighty.
In my sermon I said, if we are believers, we have a spiritual gift and God uses people of all ages and talents. He uses what the world would call insignificant people. One example of insignificant people is the servant girl to King Naaman’s wife; she was unnamed. She encourages Naaman to see a prophet in Samaria so he could be healed. 2 Kings 5:2-5: Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. "By all means, go," the king of Aram replied.” King Naaman listened to the servant girl and he was healed by God.
Sometimes we view the use of spiritual gifts as gifts used by only the people in the front of the church—the pastor, worship leaders, praise team, elders and deacons, board members, etc. as using their spiritual gifts. Not so. If you’re wiping the nose of a little child in the nursery, you’re being used by God. Oh, the Body may never “see” your work and dedication but God does; for just as He notices the nameless servant girl of Naaman, He notices your work and dedication. (“Whatever you do unto the least of these, you do unto Me.”)
As I spoke, I noticed a woman sitting in the back off to the side; she listened intently to my sermon. As she turned her head, I could see tears in her eyes. We talked after the service; she was a first time worshipper at the church and this is what she told me. She said: “If you knew my past, God wouldn’t use me.” I reassured her that God has always used men and women “with a past” to carry His message of hope to a hurting world. Romans 3:22-24: This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
God uses flawed, sinful, cracked-pot people like us to further His kingdom. Through the blood of Christ, He forgives our sins. Psalm 103:12 says: “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” He uses humble, forgiven people to further His kingdom.
Paul wanted to know the power of Jesus resurrection (Phil. 3:10: I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death ) Do you want to know the power of Jesus’ resurrection? Has your life been transformed by the power of Christ’s resurrection? Yes, God uses forgiven, transformed, insignificant people (insignificant in the world’s eyes) to further His kingdom. Hold up your head. Move forward. Put on your armor (Eph. 6). Go to battle. You are a child of The King not a king. THE King, Lord God Almighty.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
A thousand blackbirds and thirty-seven deer
It’s April on the western Minnesota prairie. This means one day it’s 81 degrees and for the next week we have blowing snow, 40 mile per hour winds with nighttime temperatures in the low teens. In Minnesota, we only need to be patient; things will change on short order. Yesterday the temperature started to rise with scattered sunshine.
The scattered sunshine seems to cause the migrating birds to begin moving again. Blackbirds are in the south field so thick the field seemed to move and oscillate as they picked the soil for some morsels of food. Birds amaze me; why do they all jump up at the same time, fly in the same direction, flowing in graceful form, coordinated in smooth flight and at whose command? Is there a first-sergeant bird who silently barks out orders to the obedient flocks?
The group of birds leap-frog over each other, out of the south field into the lawn to the east of the house. Continuous flights, continuous noise, all moving closer to the pond for water and an evening respite in our trees.
The other evening Judi came home from work just at dusk. She called and told me to get my shoes on for she was taking me for a ride. She took me down to the lake bottom where we observed over 30 plus deer frolicking and playing in the darkening shadows. What a sight! What a blessing! God’s handiwork is all around.
Today Judi and I went for a walk in the wood with our lab, Lily. The sound of the birds was impressive. It was loud, long and steady—a sure sign of hope at the end of winter on the Minnesota prairie.
This morning the sunrise broke over the horizon just north of the Long Lake Mission Cemetery on Johnnie’s hill. It reminded me of Lamentations 3:22-23: "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” My mind went back to last night and I marveled at what a privilege it was to see God’s creation in its entire splendor. It is free for us to see and praise. I praise the Lord for His creative genius, a reminder of His generous providing hand. Psalms 19:1 - "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."
Remember if we do not praise the Lord, the rocks will cry out. Oh Lord, may I never become so calloused as to not notice the beauty, grandeur, and magnificence of your creation. May the rocks in Section 17 of Winfield Township have no need to cry out. May we forever praise the Lord. Amen.
The scattered sunshine seems to cause the migrating birds to begin moving again. Blackbirds are in the south field so thick the field seemed to move and oscillate as they picked the soil for some morsels of food. Birds amaze me; why do they all jump up at the same time, fly in the same direction, flowing in graceful form, coordinated in smooth flight and at whose command? Is there a first-sergeant bird who silently barks out orders to the obedient flocks?
The group of birds leap-frog over each other, out of the south field into the lawn to the east of the house. Continuous flights, continuous noise, all moving closer to the pond for water and an evening respite in our trees.
The other evening Judi came home from work just at dusk. She called and told me to get my shoes on for she was taking me for a ride. She took me down to the lake bottom where we observed over 30 plus deer frolicking and playing in the darkening shadows. What a sight! What a blessing! God’s handiwork is all around.
Today Judi and I went for a walk in the wood with our lab, Lily. The sound of the birds was impressive. It was loud, long and steady—a sure sign of hope at the end of winter on the Minnesota prairie.
This morning the sunrise broke over the horizon just north of the Long Lake Mission Cemetery on Johnnie’s hill. It reminded me of Lamentations 3:22-23: "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” My mind went back to last night and I marveled at what a privilege it was to see God’s creation in its entire splendor. It is free for us to see and praise. I praise the Lord for His creative genius, a reminder of His generous providing hand. Psalms 19:1 - "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."
Remember if we do not praise the Lord, the rocks will cry out. Oh Lord, may I never become so calloused as to not notice the beauty, grandeur, and magnificence of your creation. May the rocks in Section 17 of Winfield Township have no need to cry out. May we forever praise the Lord. Amen.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Beating the drum slowly…A baby’s death in Oakdale
A story ran as headlines throughout last week about a 16 year old girl who gave birth to a baby; she stabbed the baby over 100 times and disposed of the baby in a trash can. We were outraged. We shook our heads in disgust, and said isn’t this sad. Yes, it’s easy to point the finger in a case like this; what she did is wrong, it’s unconscionable but I ask: “Why was this girl so hopeless? Why was she so afraid and lonely? Why was she so isolated that she talked to no one? Why was she so angry that she stabbed the baby over 100 times?”
As a professing Christian, I must ask myself: “Why didn’t she know the hope and love of Christ? Why didn’t someone notice this girl, have some type of relationship with her so she would be able to talk to someone she trusted? What is she angry at?”
If she was our neighbor, would we get involved in her life? If not, why? May I suggest we would not because we don’t care? Some of you may feel old Beef here is a negative old coot. I may be, but when are we going to pull our collective heads out of the sand and care about girls like this? I think I know the answer; do you really want to hear it? We will pull our head out of the sand when the girl who does this is our daughter, our neighbor or our grandchild. We will pull our heads out of the sand when it is too late. Just like the people of Oakdale.
God’s love for us should motivate us to take the message of the hope of Christ, the love of Christ, the care of Christ to a hurting world—to people like this young 16 year old girl in Oakdale. Jesus told us to go so let’s go and do.
Let’s quit playing games. Let’s be Christ to our corner of the world. Let’s show compassion where none exists. Let’s forgive when no forgiveness exists. Let’s light our light in the darkest hour. Let’s die to ourselves like Christ died. Let’s sacrifice our comfort, pride, our self-centered isolated life style, and lay them at the foot of the cross. The world is hurting and the love of Christ is the only hope. Go, go, go! Go and Do! Let’s live for Jesus. Amen.
As a professing Christian, I must ask myself: “Why didn’t she know the hope and love of Christ? Why didn’t someone notice this girl, have some type of relationship with her so she would be able to talk to someone she trusted? What is she angry at?”
If she was our neighbor, would we get involved in her life? If not, why? May I suggest we would not because we don’t care? Some of you may feel old Beef here is a negative old coot. I may be, but when are we going to pull our collective heads out of the sand and care about girls like this? I think I know the answer; do you really want to hear it? We will pull our head out of the sand when the girl who does this is our daughter, our neighbor or our grandchild. We will pull our heads out of the sand when it is too late. Just like the people of Oakdale.
God’s love for us should motivate us to take the message of the hope of Christ, the love of Christ, the care of Christ to a hurting world—to people like this young 16 year old girl in Oakdale. Jesus told us to go so let’s go and do.
Let’s quit playing games. Let’s be Christ to our corner of the world. Let’s show compassion where none exists. Let’s forgive when no forgiveness exists. Let’s light our light in the darkest hour. Let’s die to ourselves like Christ died. Let’s sacrifice our comfort, pride, our self-centered isolated life style, and lay them at the foot of the cross. The world is hurting and the love of Christ is the only hope. Go, go, go! Go and Do! Let’s live for Jesus. Amen.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Three Little Words: A Teachable Moment
Because of three words, Don Imus lost his reputation, his job and any creditability he might have had. He is “over with”—history in the eyes of the world. Don Imus’ very public sin (it was wrong what he said) was played out across the airwaves and other media. Most of us are aware of the uproar over the three “misspoken” words.
We are not public icons so when our time comes over three “misspoken words” it will not be played out on the national stage. Oh, I can criticize someone to my son on the phone but only Andy and I will have heard the spoken word. This seems safe to us, just keep the criticism contained and no one will know the difference—except God!!
In God’s word it says “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment." (Matt. 12:36 NKJV) Every half truth, every exaggeration, every lie, every cheap shot at our neighbor, every self-righteous finger pointing moment, every repeated rumor or possible scandal shared only between two people has been and will be heard by God and God will call us to account.
Oh, we can point our self-righteous finger at Don Imus, knowing we have thought or said things of similar nature ourselves. God hears our words and knows our thoughts from afar. This ought to make us weak in the knees. We all need some time of individual and collective soul searching. Lord help us. Lord help us. Amen.
We are not public icons so when our time comes over three “misspoken words” it will not be played out on the national stage. Oh, I can criticize someone to my son on the phone but only Andy and I will have heard the spoken word. This seems safe to us, just keep the criticism contained and no one will know the difference—except God!!
In God’s word it says “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment." (Matt. 12:36 NKJV) Every half truth, every exaggeration, every lie, every cheap shot at our neighbor, every self-righteous finger pointing moment, every repeated rumor or possible scandal shared only between two people has been and will be heard by God and God will call us to account.
Oh, we can point our self-righteous finger at Don Imus, knowing we have thought or said things of similar nature ourselves. God hears our words and knows our thoughts from afar. This ought to make us weak in the knees. We all need some time of individual and collective soul searching. Lord help us. Lord help us. Amen.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
What do we think about when we have nothing to think about?
I just read a news report about Pope Benedict’s concern for the future of Europe. The concern expressed was in response to a study that looked at the ever decreasing birth rate in the European Union countries. The Pope said many of the people in the EU have become self-centered, viewing children as a hindrance to their own pursuits.
Should we be surprised? When the Lord is pushed out as the center of our lives, we get busy and rush in to fill the vacuum. We become our own god. Sound familiar?
What is the center of your life, the Lord or other things? The easiest test to take to find out what truly is the center of our life is to ask this question. What do I think about when I have nothing to think about? This may sound silly at first glance, but I believe this to be a powerful question. Whatever the answer is, it is more than likely the center of our lives.
In response to the previous question, did you like what you found? I believe we Americans are as self-centered as the Europeans. Listen to how we converse with one another; most of the time our discussions are about what we do. We talk about our kids, our grandkids, our jobs, and our personal world. We talk superficially almost all the time. We talk about $30,000 cars, $800 purses and all the while we have full bellies and empty hearts.
Do any of us have a vision for our families, our communities, our churches, our country, our world beyond those driven by our own vested self-interest?
This week a woman at my home church asked a great question. “Jerry what are you seeing out there when you preach at those other churches?" I told her God has his people everywhere and many of them are lonely, worried and hurting people.
I spoke at a church from part of Mark 8, it’s about “Some people” who bring a blind man to Jesus and beg Jesus just to touch him. Not heal him, just touch him. When I finished preaching, I was greeting people when an 80 year old widow came by and asked “Could you just give me a hug?” I gave her a hug; we had a long warm conversation.
Are we pursuing our own self-centered pursuits, while people around us just need a hug? Are we distracted while studying “Ten easy steps to Victorious Christian Living” while in our presence lonely, hurting people are in need of just a hug? Do we even notice them?
In utter darkness, the littlest light shines the brightest. This woman taught me an important lesson. Am I going through the motions, or do I truly care about my fellow man?
Do I take time for the children that come into my presence? Do I make an effort to talk and hug Annie even though she can’t lift her head anymore?
Do I use my home as my castle? Do I retreat behind its walls to escape a hurting and needy world I don’t want to understand? Do I get irritated when someone calls to chat when I’m watching March Madness?
Jesus said “what you do unto the least of these you do unto me”. I do not believe the Europeans have a corner on the “self-centeredness” market. I believe it’s alive and well in our American culture and sadly, alive and well inside our churches.
Lord forgive us for our self-centeredness, Lord help us, wake us up. May we use our gifts as a blessing to a hurting world, and in the end may you, Lord truly get all the Glory - Amen.
Should we be surprised? When the Lord is pushed out as the center of our lives, we get busy and rush in to fill the vacuum. We become our own god. Sound familiar?
What is the center of your life, the Lord or other things? The easiest test to take to find out what truly is the center of our life is to ask this question. What do I think about when I have nothing to think about? This may sound silly at first glance, but I believe this to be a powerful question. Whatever the answer is, it is more than likely the center of our lives.
In response to the previous question, did you like what you found? I believe we Americans are as self-centered as the Europeans. Listen to how we converse with one another; most of the time our discussions are about what we do. We talk about our kids, our grandkids, our jobs, and our personal world. We talk superficially almost all the time. We talk about $30,000 cars, $800 purses and all the while we have full bellies and empty hearts.
Do any of us have a vision for our families, our communities, our churches, our country, our world beyond those driven by our own vested self-interest?
This week a woman at my home church asked a great question. “Jerry what are you seeing out there when you preach at those other churches?" I told her God has his people everywhere and many of them are lonely, worried and hurting people.
I spoke at a church from part of Mark 8, it’s about “Some people” who bring a blind man to Jesus and beg Jesus just to touch him. Not heal him, just touch him. When I finished preaching, I was greeting people when an 80 year old widow came by and asked “Could you just give me a hug?” I gave her a hug; we had a long warm conversation.
Are we pursuing our own self-centered pursuits, while people around us just need a hug? Are we distracted while studying “Ten easy steps to Victorious Christian Living” while in our presence lonely, hurting people are in need of just a hug? Do we even notice them?
In utter darkness, the littlest light shines the brightest. This woman taught me an important lesson. Am I going through the motions, or do I truly care about my fellow man?
Do I take time for the children that come into my presence? Do I make an effort to talk and hug Annie even though she can’t lift her head anymore?
Do I use my home as my castle? Do I retreat behind its walls to escape a hurting and needy world I don’t want to understand? Do I get irritated when someone calls to chat when I’m watching March Madness?
Jesus said “what you do unto the least of these you do unto me”. I do not believe the Europeans have a corner on the “self-centeredness” market. I believe it’s alive and well in our American culture and sadly, alive and well inside our churches.
Lord forgive us for our self-centeredness, Lord help us, wake us up. May we use our gifts as a blessing to a hurting world, and in the end may you, Lord truly get all the Glory - Amen.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Easter Week Thoughts
When talk shows and the like talk about Jesus, the most popular title for Him is prophet. Prophets usually are considered weird people; we can listen and ignore them because most really aren’t prophets, they are frauds. Therefore, there are no consequences for what they say. We like it that way. Oh, they might ruffle our feathers but on the whole, we don’t take them seriously. So, when it comes to the claims of Jesus, let’s ignore them, just keep Him a prophet.
People say times change, sometimes they don’t. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, the crowds rolled out to welcome Him. In Luke 19:37 it says in part…”the whole crowd of disciples began singing joyfully to God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: Blessed is he King who comes in the name of the Lord…” Notice why they were praising Him: “for all the miracles they had seen.” These disciples quoted scripture; they knew who He was.
In Matthew 21 scripture about the triumphal entry says this: (verse 10) “When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city stirred and asked, “Who is this?” vs.11, the crowds answered “This is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” The crowds saw Him as prophet not as King, Lord or Savior.
Deep down, who is Jesus to you; just a prophet or Lord, Savior and King? In Matt. 16:13, Jesus asked, “Who do the people say the Son of Man is? Verse 14 they replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Jesus asked His disciples “Who do you say I am?” And Peter replied “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Peter confirmed and believed he was the Son of God.
From that time on, Jesus begins to explain to His disciples that He must be killed. Peter takes Jesus aside and says, “Never Lord, this shall never happen to you.”
The world can tolerate Him as a prophet. But when we call Him “Christ, the Son of the living God” things change. This being killed, tortured, beaten beyond human recognition stuff (Is. 52) having to die a miserable death stuff just doesn’t seem to fit into the worlds plan.. I mean this really sounds messy. It’s easier for us if He just stays a prophet. That way we don’t have to struggle with guilt and sin and all that other messy stuff.
We can sit around, be cool, contemplate and discuss who we are; why are we here; and where are we going? We can debate evil, the reality of it. We desire to seek human justice (making everything right in this world); we all hunger for love, desiring to know we are all of value. We want all of this to “work out” some way. We want an end to this misery…we know deep down, left to itself, it won’t work out; history proves that. In our heart we long for a Savior but because of pressure from the world, we only accept Him as prophet, not Lord and Savior. Just a prophet.
On Calvary, the one act of the God/man Jesus dying for our sin addresses evil and deals with it. Justice is achieved, not in a human way, but in a supernatural way, “the just (Jesus) dying for the unjust (us)." Oh, what a thought.
Romans 5:6-11 "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."
Our hunger for love is played out in our writings, poems, movies and music. We know deep down these things will not satisfy. Oh we are blessed with faithful husbands and wives, moms and dads, loving children and grandchildren. This is good but it does not fill the God shaped hole in our heart…only Christ Jesus, dying for us on the cross, can grant forgiveness and reconciliation and fill that God shaped hole. Nothing else can satisfy our hunger for love. This one act was played out on a hill called Calvary, where the Son of God was skewered to the cross so you and I could be free from sin and guilt and be made right with God once and for all. No, He is not just a prophet; He is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
People say times change, sometimes they don’t. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, the crowds rolled out to welcome Him. In Luke 19:37 it says in part…”the whole crowd of disciples began singing joyfully to God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: Blessed is he King who comes in the name of the Lord…” Notice why they were praising Him: “for all the miracles they had seen.” These disciples quoted scripture; they knew who He was.
In Matthew 21 scripture about the triumphal entry says this: (verse 10) “When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city stirred and asked, “Who is this?” vs.11, the crowds answered “This is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” The crowds saw Him as prophet not as King, Lord or Savior.
Deep down, who is Jesus to you; just a prophet or Lord, Savior and King? In Matt. 16:13, Jesus asked, “Who do the people say the Son of Man is? Verse 14 they replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Jesus asked His disciples “Who do you say I am?” And Peter replied “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Peter confirmed and believed he was the Son of God.
From that time on, Jesus begins to explain to His disciples that He must be killed. Peter takes Jesus aside and says, “Never Lord, this shall never happen to you.”
The world can tolerate Him as a prophet. But when we call Him “Christ, the Son of the living God” things change. This being killed, tortured, beaten beyond human recognition stuff (Is. 52) having to die a miserable death stuff just doesn’t seem to fit into the worlds plan.. I mean this really sounds messy. It’s easier for us if He just stays a prophet. That way we don’t have to struggle with guilt and sin and all that other messy stuff.
We can sit around, be cool, contemplate and discuss who we are; why are we here; and where are we going? We can debate evil, the reality of it. We desire to seek human justice (making everything right in this world); we all hunger for love, desiring to know we are all of value. We want all of this to “work out” some way. We want an end to this misery…we know deep down, left to itself, it won’t work out; history proves that. In our heart we long for a Savior but because of pressure from the world, we only accept Him as prophet, not Lord and Savior. Just a prophet.
On Calvary, the one act of the God/man Jesus dying for our sin addresses evil and deals with it. Justice is achieved, not in a human way, but in a supernatural way, “the just (Jesus) dying for the unjust (us)." Oh, what a thought.
Romans 5:6-11 "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."
Our hunger for love is played out in our writings, poems, movies and music. We know deep down these things will not satisfy. Oh we are blessed with faithful husbands and wives, moms and dads, loving children and grandchildren. This is good but it does not fill the God shaped hole in our heart…only Christ Jesus, dying for us on the cross, can grant forgiveness and reconciliation and fill that God shaped hole. Nothing else can satisfy our hunger for love. This one act was played out on a hill called Calvary, where the Son of God was skewered to the cross so you and I could be free from sin and guilt and be made right with God once and for all. No, He is not just a prophet; He is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Family Secrets—sweeping the past under the rug
Last night as I watched the news, I learned that Winona Judd’s husband was arrested for sexual abuse with a child under thirteen. I thought, how tragic; why this epidemic of sexual abuse and exploitation? I wondered how sad that the Judd family has to face its sin in such a public manner. What about the child? I thought a little bit more, at least it can’t be swept under the rug, and probably the public exposure should be viewed as a blessing.
Families have secrets, families have a past, sometimes they are unseemly. We like to keep certain things about our past secret because we fear it would embarrass us; we would appear less to our fellowman. Our response is to sweep it under the rug but we continue to see the bump under the rug and it bothers us. We keep sweeping more under the rug and pretty soon someone in the family trips on the bump. They get hurt but we keep right on sweeping.
Along the way, a family member gets tired of seeing the bump under the rug and gets tired of seeing people tripping over the bump, falling and getting hurt. This family member gets tired of seeing fellow family members lying on the floor wounded, being judged for "their" failure when in reality they tripped and fell over all the garbage that has been swept under the rug for generations.
So, this truth seeking family member finally picks up the rug to see what’s there. They are chastised for seeking the truth and are quickly labeled “the problem”. The person who wants to find out the truth about the garbage under the rug is labeled a trouble maker, the problem, just because they desire the truth.
We all can act like we are waltzing through life, but a day comes when we must deal with our past or our family secrets. Look at King David. A king, powerful, anointed by God, distracted from his real job (being king he should have been in battle with his soldiers) but he stays back, becomes a peeping Tom and because he is king, orders Bathsheba to his bedroom, you know the rest. If not, read I Samuel 16-I Kings 2:11, I Chronicles 11-29). King David, forgiven as he was, still suffered the consequences of his sins.
Two things we need to learn from this: our sin will be found out AND we need to deal with it. It happened to David with the Prophet Nathan and it will happen to us. If it doesn’t happen in this life, it will be revealed on Judgment Day.
We, as a people, cannot ignore our personal or collective past. I see too many people who have tripped over the bump under the rug and are lying on the floor of life deeply hurt and wounded. Pick up the rug; deal with the stuff under the rug. Stop labeling the Truth Seeker, the trouble maker. We need to get rid of our pride and our over inflated image of ourselves.
Life is miserable when we won’t face our past and our sin. I know from experience.
Practical advice: We need to pray for courage to stand up to, address, and face our sin and our family’s sin. We need to stop making the Truth Seeker the problem. We need to address the past honestly and live with expectation remembering what the Apostle Paul said, “God will do more than we can ever imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). Our goal should be forgiveness and restoration, not revenge. We need to humbly thank the Truth Seeker for his courage. What will you be, a sweeper or a Truth Seeker? We must do the right thing. Come Holy Spirit, help us.
Families have secrets, families have a past, sometimes they are unseemly. We like to keep certain things about our past secret because we fear it would embarrass us; we would appear less to our fellowman. Our response is to sweep it under the rug but we continue to see the bump under the rug and it bothers us. We keep sweeping more under the rug and pretty soon someone in the family trips on the bump. They get hurt but we keep right on sweeping.
Along the way, a family member gets tired of seeing the bump under the rug and gets tired of seeing people tripping over the bump, falling and getting hurt. This family member gets tired of seeing fellow family members lying on the floor wounded, being judged for "their" failure when in reality they tripped and fell over all the garbage that has been swept under the rug for generations.
So, this truth seeking family member finally picks up the rug to see what’s there. They are chastised for seeking the truth and are quickly labeled “the problem”. The person who wants to find out the truth about the garbage under the rug is labeled a trouble maker, the problem, just because they desire the truth.
We all can act like we are waltzing through life, but a day comes when we must deal with our past or our family secrets. Look at King David. A king, powerful, anointed by God, distracted from his real job (being king he should have been in battle with his soldiers) but he stays back, becomes a peeping Tom and because he is king, orders Bathsheba to his bedroom, you know the rest. If not, read I Samuel 16-I Kings 2:11, I Chronicles 11-29). King David, forgiven as he was, still suffered the consequences of his sins.
Two things we need to learn from this: our sin will be found out AND we need to deal with it. It happened to David with the Prophet Nathan and it will happen to us. If it doesn’t happen in this life, it will be revealed on Judgment Day.
We, as a people, cannot ignore our personal or collective past. I see too many people who have tripped over the bump under the rug and are lying on the floor of life deeply hurt and wounded. Pick up the rug; deal with the stuff under the rug. Stop labeling the Truth Seeker, the trouble maker. We need to get rid of our pride and our over inflated image of ourselves.
Life is miserable when we won’t face our past and our sin. I know from experience.
Practical advice: We need to pray for courage to stand up to, address, and face our sin and our family’s sin. We need to stop making the Truth Seeker the problem. We need to address the past honestly and live with expectation remembering what the Apostle Paul said, “God will do more than we can ever imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). Our goal should be forgiveness and restoration, not revenge. We need to humbly thank the Truth Seeker for his courage. What will you be, a sweeper or a Truth Seeker? We must do the right thing. Come Holy Spirit, help us.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Repost from Sunday, June 18, 2006
For some of you new to the blog, we will repost a few of the older blogs during the week. Look for a new post from Beef this Thursday or Friday.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Meet Myrtle from "Mrs. Beef"
Let me tell you about Myrtle. Myrtle is the sweet, lovely lady who used to live across the street from us when our children were growing up. She’s the one where the children would always visit to get candy, see pictures and hear stories of her family, and always learn more about Jesus; she was everyone’s “adopted Grandma.” And what a testimony she is. If you would see Myrtle when she was out walking, Myrtle never waved and I believe everyone knew why--she was busy praying for everyone that lived in the houses that she passed. She prayed for everyone in the neighborhood by name every day and continues to do so today.
One day Beef received a phone call from Myrtle. She knew that he had a men’s Bible study that met once a week in our home and she told him about someone that was in desperate need of help. She told Beef he needed to call this young man immediately and invite him to his group and she would be praying for them and hung up. It made no difference that Beef did not know this young man but Myrtle did and she knew that God wanted this young man on His team! Even if most people had given up on him, it was no surprise to Myrtle that this man would become a happy, vibrant Christian who loves the Lord and has even participated in several mission trips sharing that love with others in need. Myrtle’s faith is unstoppable!
Myrtle has a vision—she takes seriously Christ’s command to us to “Go and make disciples of all the world.” Her single-handed (NO, I should say FOLDED-hands!) prayer ministry and been her mission all her life. She is fulfilling her purpose. Read on…
This weekend I was at a wedding of one of the neighbor kids and what a delightful surprise to see Myrtle. She is now living in Albert Lea, is close to 90 years old, extremely tiny and walking with a walker BUT she is not just curled up in a chair at the nursing home, playing cards, or knitting or sleeping; she has a RADIO MINISTRY!! A call in show where she prays for people!! How many of us will be doing anything close to that when we are her age? (How many of us do anything close to that TODAY???) Let Myrtle’s vision be a challenge for you!!
~ Mrs. Beef
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Meet Myrtle from "Mrs. Beef"
Let me tell you about Myrtle. Myrtle is the sweet, lovely lady who used to live across the street from us when our children were growing up. She’s the one where the children would always visit to get candy, see pictures and hear stories of her family, and always learn more about Jesus; she was everyone’s “adopted Grandma.” And what a testimony she is. If you would see Myrtle when she was out walking, Myrtle never waved and I believe everyone knew why--she was busy praying for everyone that lived in the houses that she passed. She prayed for everyone in the neighborhood by name every day and continues to do so today.
One day Beef received a phone call from Myrtle. She knew that he had a men’s Bible study that met once a week in our home and she told him about someone that was in desperate need of help. She told Beef he needed to call this young man immediately and invite him to his group and she would be praying for them and hung up. It made no difference that Beef did not know this young man but Myrtle did and she knew that God wanted this young man on His team! Even if most people had given up on him, it was no surprise to Myrtle that this man would become a happy, vibrant Christian who loves the Lord and has even participated in several mission trips sharing that love with others in need. Myrtle’s faith is unstoppable!
Myrtle has a vision—she takes seriously Christ’s command to us to “Go and make disciples of all the world.” Her single-handed (NO, I should say FOLDED-hands!) prayer ministry and been her mission all her life. She is fulfilling her purpose. Read on…
This weekend I was at a wedding of one of the neighbor kids and what a delightful surprise to see Myrtle. She is now living in Albert Lea, is close to 90 years old, extremely tiny and walking with a walker BUT she is not just curled up in a chair at the nursing home, playing cards, or knitting or sleeping; she has a RADIO MINISTRY!! A call in show where she prays for people!! How many of us will be doing anything close to that when we are her age? (How many of us do anything close to that TODAY???) Let Myrtle’s vision be a challenge for you!!
~ Mrs. Beef
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Worrying About Worry
The ads on TV have changed over the years. Many of the ads are for legal drugs. If you weren’t sick, after watching some of these ads, a person can begin to believe we must have a myriad of undiagnosed diseases. Drug manufacturers have become relentless in promoting their products. They ask questions and prompt you with questions to ask your doctor. The TV ads are backed up with two page ads in magazines with more detail than we need to know.
I heard an ad about anxiety attacks or panic attacks. I wondered what produces worry and anxiousness--the future, our health, finances, concerns about extended family and such. The ad implied if I’m anxious I only need to take a dose of “Bluesblasta” and everything will be ok; medicate myself into drug induced tranquility.
We are a nation that wants the pain killers first. Emergency room doctors and nurses will verify this. Our first demand when we come into the emergency room is “Give me something for the pain!” rather than “What’s wrong?”
Has this shift in cultural values made us a nation of worry warts? Do we want tranquility at any cost? Have we as Christians bought into the worry and also the drug tranquility which is a temporary solution until we pop the next pill.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-34: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
I believe Jesus main point is “Do not be anxious; do not worry.” John Piper wrote about that very thing in his book What Jesus Demands from this World. "We ought not be anxious about food and clothing because food and clothing cannot provide the great things of life--the enjoyment of God, the pursuit of his gracious favor, the hope of eternity in his presence. We get anxious about food and clothing to the same degree that we lose sight of the great purposes of a God-centered life." Lord, may we grow in knowledge to have a greater depth of relationship with you to know you and trust you. Continue in your work in us. Come Holy Spirit. Amen
I heard an ad about anxiety attacks or panic attacks. I wondered what produces worry and anxiousness--the future, our health, finances, concerns about extended family and such. The ad implied if I’m anxious I only need to take a dose of “Bluesblasta” and everything will be ok; medicate myself into drug induced tranquility.
We are a nation that wants the pain killers first. Emergency room doctors and nurses will verify this. Our first demand when we come into the emergency room is “Give me something for the pain!” rather than “What’s wrong?”
Has this shift in cultural values made us a nation of worry warts? Do we want tranquility at any cost? Have we as Christians bought into the worry and also the drug tranquility which is a temporary solution until we pop the next pill.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-34: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
I believe Jesus main point is “Do not be anxious; do not worry.” John Piper wrote about that very thing in his book What Jesus Demands from this World. "We ought not be anxious about food and clothing because food and clothing cannot provide the great things of life--the enjoyment of God, the pursuit of his gracious favor, the hope of eternity in his presence. We get anxious about food and clothing to the same degree that we lose sight of the great purposes of a God-centered life." Lord, may we grow in knowledge to have a greater depth of relationship with you to know you and trust you. Continue in your work in us. Come Holy Spirit. Amen
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