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Showing posts from August, 2022

Stop bullying me!

Has it been one of those seasons where no matter how hard you try to move one step forward, you feel like you are taking two steps backward? No matter what you do, you just cannot seem to break free of whatever it is that is keeping you in the muddle and trials you are in. Sometimes I think this 'muddle' is just my own doing - because I have bitten off way more than I can chew. My plate is overloaded and the only way to be clear of the pressure is to get some of the stuff off my plate which really doesn't belong there in the first place. There are other times when I just cannot tell you why I am feeling a little oppressed and pushed down, but it happens more than I'd like to admit. I think those times might just be when the enemy of my soul wants me to get distracted from what is important in life - adding muddle and mess wherever he can. How about you? Sometimes you just need to push some of the stuff back off your plate, other times you might just need to push

Stupid sins and grimy messes

There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger and directs us to hidden treasure. Otherwise how will we find our way? Or know when we play the fool? Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh! Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work; Then I can start this day sun-washed, scrubbed clean of the grime of sin. These are the words in my mouth; these are what I chew on and pray. Accept them when I place them on the morning altar, O God, my Altar-Rock, God, Priest-of-My-Altar. (Psalm 19:11-14) If you have ever found hidden treasure, you know exactly how it feels! Why? What was once hidden was no longer - that which is exposed becomes a thing of interest to more than just you! I wonder how many times God cleverly places something of great worth just beneath the surface in our lives, begging for exposure and promising great delight when it is finally out in the open? Maybe more than we think! Exposure brings into view what once was hidden. Anything which rema

Idling on purpose

Yet there is one ray of hope: his compassion never ends. It is only the Lord’s mercies that have kept us from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his loving-kindness begins afresh each day. My soul claims the Lord as my inheritance; therefore I will hope in him. The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him, to those who seek for him. It is good both to hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. (Lamentations 3:21-26) Everything around us may be collapsing, kind of going amiss in all kinds of different ways, but as Jeremiah declared: "Yet there is one ray of hope: his compassion never ends." Take heart - God hasn't abandoned you to the catastrophe of the day. He hasn't brought calamity upon you - but he stands at the ready to deliver you from that which has come! One important thing I like within this passage is the part about his loving-kindness beginning afresh each day. That means his grace in our lives is as fresh as today - we don

Dad used to say, "Use it or lose it"

Through your faithful prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, everything he wants to do in and through me will be done. I can hardly wait to continue on my course. I don’t expect to be embarrassed in the least. On the contrary, everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die. They didn’t shut me up; they gave me a platform! Alive, I’m Christ’s messenger; dead, I’m his prize. Life versus even more life! I can’t lose. (Philippians 1:21) You never know what your 'platform' will be, do you? You might envision one thing, but God has a different avenue for you to explore and use as the platform by which he is glorified through your life. Paul was in prison and those who had grown close to him in his ministry were concerned that he would no longer have a 'platform' for ministry. He turns that fear around with these words: "...they gave me a platform!" Christ's

Is this a good thing, or a bad thing?

What you say about yourself means nothing in God’s work. It’s what God says about you that makes the difference. (2 Corinthians 10:18) Paul had been speaking with the Corinthian believers and he shares the importance of not claiming credit for the work of others. Perhaps some had accused him of trying to 'step in' and take over the church there, we don't really know. What we do know is that he had written letters to the church in Corinth, attempting to correct some wrong behavior on the part of some believers there. In turn, he was criticized. Isn't that just the way we act at times - getting ourselves into some compromising position and then wanting to turn the attention from ourselves to those who actually notice that behavior? Whenever sin is confronted, criticism is not too far behind. It is second nature for us to point the finger at another when we feel confronted - we call it 'cover-up'. We humans have been doing this since the beginning of time. The poin

Let Go - Let God - it is a real thing!

With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let’s make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let’s make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God. (2 Corinthians 7:1) What might these 'promises' be that are 'pulling us on'? We need only go back one chapter and read these verses: “I’ll live in them, move into them; I’ll be their God and they’ll be my people. So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good,” says God. “Don’t link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself. I’ll be a Father to you; you’ll be sons and daughters to me.” Now those are some pretty good words if you ask me! When we choose to 'leave for good' the things that corrupt our lives, leading us into compromise, we will find that the 'link' to those things begins to break. The more we 'lean into' that commitment, the greater the pull AWAY those things will be, and the link wi

Dogma matters, but...

What’s important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God’s sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you’re a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It’s God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That’s why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other. (Romans 14:8) Okay, so I know the original translation of this passage doesn't tell us to eat prime rib and broccoli, but it is there to make a point. We are to stand by our commitments - our beliefs, values, and even our dogma - but we are not to look down on others because of theirs. If their dogma, beliefs, or values are not according to scripture - we are to hold them up in prayer, not argue

Passionately Expressed for HIS Honor

Creative lives are productive lives. When we stop to think about this, we find there is something quite powerful in creativity - we bring into existence something which would otherwise not really be there. My grandsons are so creative, one is a gifted welder and the other can sketch, carve wood, and see things in things that others may miss. My son can 'MacGyver' anything from almost nothing - especially when his mom needs a suggestion on how something might come together. My daughter is exceptionally creative and has her own blog which is gaining more and more popularity all the time. What amazes me most is when she is given opportunities to bless others with her creativity. This is what life is supposed to be about - creative lives being productive lives - both in our own lives and then in reaching out to touch others through your creativity. Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might b

Rewired?

Some of us have a tendency to deal too much in the "past tense" of our lives. There is this intense focus on the "what ifs" and the "should haves" instead of the stuff that actually makes up our current picture. Maybe it is because our minds have this way of capturing those moments in living memory - "scrapbooking" the sadness of our past and continually dragging it out to dredge up those old memories. There is one part of "past tense" we don't realize - what has been done doesn't need to be done or rehashed again! Perhaps this is why God thought it so important for us to recognize the futility of continually living in sin when we have ALREADY died to it! Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in hi

A revisit is worth it

How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of your Word. I’m single-minded in pursuit of you; don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted. I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt. Be blessed, God; train me in your ways of wise living. I’ll transfer to my lips all the counsel that comes from your mouth; I delight far more in what you tell me about living than in gathering a pile of riches. I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you, I attentively watch how you’ve done it. I relish everything you’ve told me of life, I won’t forget a word of it. (Psalm 119:14) I frequently go back to this verse to study it a bit more because it is rich in wisdom for living a good life that is honoring to God. How can a person actually live a 'good life' that is consistently honoring to God? In truth, it is hard at times, but there are some things we can do to make it just a bit easier. God gave us a 'map' of sorts when

Self-care beware

The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That's the day we truly grow up. (John C. Maxwell) Romans 8:5-8 reminds us that, " Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn’t pleased at being ignored. " What 'moral muscle' have you been attempting to exercise lately? When it comes down to examining the outcome of that 'exercise', do you find that 'moral muscle' had a c

The two wings

Death and love are the two wings that bear the good man to heaven. (Michelangelo) Michelangelo may have a portion of this 'going to heaven' thing correct, but I know the only death that really mattered was Christ's. The only thing that draws us all into his arms is his intense love for each of us. So, it is indeed a death and some pretty amazing love that bears us to heaven...but...none of us are 'good men' or 'good women' without Christ. So, even the goodness of mankind is reliant upon the love of God! “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again . Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the

Time for a celebration

Hallelujah! Sing to God a brand-new song, praise him in the company of all who love him. Let all Israel celebrate their Sovereign Creator, Zion’s children exult in their King. Let them praise his name in dance; strike up the band and make great music! And why? Because God delights in his people, adorns plain folk with salvation garlands! (Psalm 149:4) If God were to hear you sing to him - just to him - what would that song be today? Would it be a lamenting tune, focusing on all the woes of the world around you? Would it be a cheerful, warm, and happy tune, focusing on all God is doing to take care of you at this very moment? Would it be a worshipful song - one in which the focus is not so much what God is or has been doing, but on who he is? His name is worthy of praise. He is to be exalted - not for what he does, but for who he is - our Savior. Celebrating God may seem foreign to some who have not grown up in a home where God was in the center of all that transpired. It may not be th

God running this place?

There was one day when the Prophet Isaiah was speaking with the people, reporting on how Israel was finally at rest in the Promised Land, enjoying their feasts and festivals. There was worship in the land. They were finally 'settled' - no longer wandering hither and yon. The land was a blessing - providing for their needs in a great way. They were protected from attack - secure in their new homes. One of the best parts of the report was these words: "God runs this place and he'll keep us safe." When God is in control of our lives, we will be safe. If we take back that control, or just 'let it go' because we aren't paying attention, we will open the gates wide to disaster and destruction. Just take a look at Zion, will you? Centering our worship in festival feasts! Feast your eyes on Jerusalem, a quiet and permanent place to live. No more pulling up stakes and moving on, no more patched-together lean-tos. Instead, God! God majestic, God himself the plac

Winning every time

Your mercies, God, run into the billions; following your guidelines, revive me. My antagonists are too many to count, but I don’t swerve from the directions you gave...Your words all add up to the sum total: Truth. (Psalm 119:160) An "antagonist" is something that competes with something or someone so as to counteract the actions of the thing it is competing against. For example, when we give an antibiotic, the purpose is to counteract the 'hostile biologic organism' that is attacking your body and bringing illness to it. The antibiotic launches a counterattack against the bacteria that has multiplied within your body. The result is noticed when the bacteria begin to die, and the effects of its attack are no longer observed. Some antagonists are good - others can actually be quite harmful when left to their own devices, though. It might just do us well to actually understand some of the harmful antagonists in our lives if we are ever to launch a good fight against the

Custom Edition

By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. I’ve committed myself and I’ll never turn back from living by your righteous order. Everything’s falling apart on me, God; put me together again with your Word. Festoon me with your finest sayings, God; teach me your holy rules. (Psalm 119:105-108) How is your life going? You might be living by default rather than by any particular design. When you buy a new electronic device, there is a "factory preset" for how the system should work. It is called the "default" operating system. As time goes on and you become more familiar with what the device can actually do when it gets off the "default" mode, you might actually find you can do some pretty handy things with the device. "Default" is only a beginning spot - it isn't where we are designed to live. When we settle for "default", we negate the purpose of being created with the various abilities Go

Inside the box?

Let's be frank here - we need to learn to walk together in unity. I think we all know how truly difficult it is to actually be and stay in unity. Deep, intimate relationships require a different commitment than mere acquaintances. Friendships help to sustain us and keep us on track. How we view each relationship tells us a little bit about what we may actually invest into and take away from those relationships. We may find some actually are an ordeal for us because they demand more than we want to really put into them, but does that make them unnecessary relationships? Some may seem like a big deal to us, but does that make them worthy of special attention while neglecting others? Other relationships seem like they are kind of ideal, almost making us want to be exclusionary within those relationships, but doesn't that isolate us from the other types of relationships which might actually help us chip away some of the rough edges in our character? I think we might just nee

Sometimes being 'grounded' isn't all that bad!

Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or whine, Israel, saying, “God has lost track of me. He doesn’t care what happens to me”? Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening? God doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind. (Isaiah 40:27-31) Complaining that God seems to be looking the other way when you need his attention right now? Do you think he has abandoned you to some state of misery or woe that you won't be able to overcome? We all have been there at least once, and if we were honest, we'd admit we come to this place a little too

This no longer 'fits'

A solid reputation requires a commitment to being honest. Deceitful people walk a treacherous, thorny path. Mom always said that my lies would "snowball". In other words, it was like rolling the tiny snowball into the bigger one which eventually became the biggest part of the snowman's body! The more you "roll around" in the lie, the more lies you attract and use to cover up the original one. Eventually, there is more effort in being dishonest than there ever would have been in maintaining your integrity and just coming clean about what it is you wanted to cover up in the first place. At the moment, a lie seems like an easy fix to a miserable situation, but in the end, the situation is made more miserable by the lies. No amount of "cover-up" actually stays covered up very long. Eventually some form of "heat" will cause the truth to surface - and when it does, the damage the lies have done to your reputation leave a bigger "hole" to

What a character!

A good reputation is better than much wealth; high esteem is better than silver and gold. The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord made them both. Prudent people see trouble and hide, while the simpleminded go right to it and get punished. The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord is wealth, honor, and life. Thorns and nets are in the path of the crooked; those who guard their lives keep their distance. Train children in the way they should go; when they grow old, they won’t depart from it. The wealthy rule over the poor; a borrower is a slave to a lender. Those who sow injustice will harvest evil; the rod of their fury will come to an end. Happy are generous people, because they give some of their food to the poor. Remove the mocker and conflict disappears; judgment and shame also stop. (Proverbs 21:1-10) The overall quality of character is what determines if a man or woman will be known in a favorable light. We call this "reputation" - something which &qu

Credibility is earned

God loves the pure-hearted and well-spoken; good leaders also delight in their friendship. God guards knowledge with a passion, but he’ll have nothing to do with deception. Young people are prone to foolishness and fads; the cure comes through tough-minded discipline. (Proverbs 22:11-12, 15) A pure heart speaks of purity of emotions and intellect. Many of us struggle with this just because of all the "influence" we experience from the stuff working overtime to bombard our brains with "urgent" input. Guarding what gets IN affects what will indeed eventually come OUT. Gracious speech are the words which some might call "tactful" - marked by kindness, courtesy, and mercy. They reveal genuine compassion - pleasing and bringing "satisfaction" to the ears of the one hearing them. We see God speak often of the condition of the heart and the outflow of the mouth - linking the outflow to what has first been cultivated by what we take in. God gives th

Continual, Consistent, and Communicative

The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. (Hebrews 11:1) If something is 'fundamental', it is an essential part - the foundation upon which everything else is built - underlying anything else in our lives. If the foundation of our lives is to be our 'trust in God' then how are we doing on keeping that foundation firm and without any breeches? If we want to see things of great 'value' and 'worth' built into our lives, it all begins with this fundamental trust in God. We cannot build upon a 'half-trust' - it must be continual, consistent, and communicative trust. Continual faith means we don't allow any interruption in this foundation. I have a few cracks in the foundation of my home - they were apparent when I changed the carpet

Obedience doesn't come with options

Because you have satisfied me, God, I promise to do everything you say. I beg you from the bottom of my heart: smile, be gracious to me just as you promised. When I took a long, careful look at your ways, I got my feet back on the trail you blazed. I was up at once, didn’t drag my feet, was quick to follow your orders. The wicked hemmed me in—there was no way out— but not for a minute did I forget your plan for me. I get up in the middle of the night to thank you; your decisions are so right, so true—I can’t wait till morning! I’m a friend and companion of all who fear you, of those committed to living by your rules. Your love, God, fills the earth! Train me to live by your counsel. (Psalm 119:60) If you are like me, you have probably made a promise or two to God in some moment of great need, then as things got a little less 'intense' in your life, you found yourself wavering a bit on the obedience part of those promises. Just as with King David, I needed to take a long, carefu

Large and In Charge!

God is in charge of human life, watching and examining us inside and out. We justify our actions by appearances; God examines our motives. Clean living before God and justice with our neighbors mean far more to God than religious performance.  (Proverbs 20:27; 21:2-3) Has the thought ever occurred to you to consider carefully who might just be "in charge" of your life? Most of us would say we believe God is in charge of our lives - and we'd be correct in this assumption - yet most of us live as though WE were in charge of our lives! We don't consult God with our daily decisions - we make them and then look to him to "back us up". We get ourselves into "binds" and expect him to bail us out. At those moments when we are struggling to hold our head above water, we even get to thinking God may have just abandoned us. Our reality isn't that he abandoned us, but that we totally missed out on the fact of his watchful protection over our lives ev

Just sayin!

Blessed is the man, who having nothing to say, abstains from giving wordy evidence of the fact. (George Eliot) Have you ever been guilty of having 'too much to say' on a topic? It is like you cannot wait to get your turn to bring up a point. You are chatting at the bit to just get your opinion heard. Too many times we have much to say on a subject not worth saying that much about! The more talk, the less truth; the wise measure their words. (Proverbs 10:19) This won't be a long lesson today, but rather a few points to ponder about the words we choose to speak. Words aren't always the problem - it is frequently the motivation or spirit behind the words that make the greatest impact. You can say one thing, but your attitude speaks something quite different. Words have an impact - so we must choose them wisely. It isn't just the choice of words it is also the timing of those words. We can have all the right things to say - the point we are about to make is 'right o