“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21
If you have ever seen someone perform the old vaudeville act of plate spinning, you will have a good picture of what life has felt like lately. You know, furiously running from plate to plate to keep each one upright on its tall, wobbly stick as though the world depends upon my personal involvement and oversight to keep it spinning on its axis. Yes, I admit it. I have a control problem. It’s not really that I want control. It’s just that I am afraid that if I do not do everything myself that it won’t get done.
There are so many problems with this hopeless and hysterical picture that I almost don’t know where to begin. It is impossible to keep all the plates spinning. I am letting fear get the better of me. I am demonstrating a terrible lack of faith. But, I suppose the very worst of it is that I am putting myself in God’s place. You see, I...
[Read more]No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11
Spring has sprung, and although I really do love this time of year, I don’t enjoy all of the work that comes along with it. Time to clean the winter gunk out of the windows, weed the flower beds, put away the coats and sweaters we won’t need for several months, and get in some extra time exercising in order to wear our summer clothes. It’s a lot of work! Frankly, just the thought of it makes me want to throw in the towel, hunker down on the sofa, and get lost in a good book … but duty calls. I know if I will just get started that one step will lead to another, and before I know it, my work will be done. All it takes is some perseverance and a whole lot of discipline.
Discipline. What an unpleasant word, but what a necessary characteristic in a productive life. Maybe it’s just a bad case of spring fever, but I haven’t been...
[Read more]“Do this in remembrance of Me.” (Luke 22:19)
This past Sunday, my church family celebrated the Lord’s Supper. As is our custom, the “body” of Christ was passed back and forth along the pews on silver trays, and each believer in the sanctuary carefully extracted a single piece to hold until all were served and the pastor had asked God to bless it. As I held the bread between my thumb and index finger, really more of a square, cracker-like substance than bread, I noted the powdery white residue that clung to my fingertips, and a thought began to grow in my mind. Yes, I know I should have been praying or meditating, but sometimes my mind has a mind of its own. (Is such a thing possible?) Anyway, I noted the fine powder on my fingers and began to think of how communion with the Lord should leave just as visible an impression on my life as the “bread” did on my hands.
Next came the “blood” in tiny plastic cups, and again, while we waited, I pondered the thimble full of watery juice. Fruit juice … Adam and...
[Read more]“Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7
So many things inspire us: passionate works of art, literature that gives voice to our deepest thoughts, music that speaks a message of truth, the splendor of creation, the stinging beauty of sacrifice, and on and on. This world is full of things that move us and fill us with a bittersweet sense of longing. But a longing for what? Even we are hard pressed to express what it is we desire. More beauty, more song, more meaning, more purpose? God only knows; yet, instead of turning to Him, we rush from one activity to the next, feeling self-important and useful for brief shining moments. We almost manage to grasp that illusive treasure we seek; but, at the end of the day, sighing, breathless, and exhausted, we find ourselves as limp and useless as a deflated balloon. “Finally,” I can imagine Him saying. “Finally, you are still and ready to...
[Read more]“…for as he thinks within himself, so he is.” (Proverbs 23:7)
There seems to be an epidemic of low self-esteem running rampant among my friends lately, and I have to admit that I have experienced more than a bout or two with it myself in recent months. No exaggeration—just yesterday three of my closest pals expressed that they were feeling worthless in one way or another. Now, the disturbing part of their confessions is that these are some great people! I mean really great! They are active doers of the Word and people who I see as making great contributions to the Kingdom. Never would I look at these folks and think “losers”; yet, that was what they were thinking in their heart of hearts, at least at those specific moments. “I feel so worthless …” “How could God ever use someone like me?” “I am just afraid that I don’t have anything to offer anyone.”
Well, we all get a little down from time to time. It was just harmless talk, right? Sadly, no. Our thoughts have a huge impact on our actions. In...
[Read more]“But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us!” (Romans 5:8)
The journal topic was written on the board, “For what or whom would you be willing to die?” The high school English class sat writing, but the results were discouraging to their teacher. A few students wrote that they would be willing to die for their families or their country, but the majority of the class stated in no uncertain terms that they were not willing to die for anyone.
Still, it is a good question. For whom would you be willing to give your life? If you are a parent, you probably would give your life for your child’s. If you are married or in love, you may give your life in exchange for your loved one’s. But, how about for an imperfect stranger? Maybe a person whose life choices are even reprehensible to you? A child molester? A terrorist? How about for a liar or a cheat? Even an enemy?
Yes, I know you can see where I am headed with these thoughts. I really do not have...
[Read more]“If I don’t see the mark of the nails in His hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe!” (John 20:25)
Why did Jesus keep His scars? After all, if He had the power to raise Himself from death, He certainly could have erased the terrible marks that our sin had left on His body. But, He didn’t. He didn’t even try to cover them up. In fact, when He first appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, “He showed them His hands and side” so that they would know who He was. He used His scars to draw the disciples to Him, and when they realized who He was, they “rejoiced.”
So why is it that the people of His church try so hard to cover up the scars of our pasts? To begin with, I guess it is because we feel less righteous with them showing. Unlike Jesus, we feel responsible for the ugly marks that sin has left in our lives. He was sinless and earned His scars in a selfless act of grace. Our wounds are often self-inflicted, and, therefore,...
[Read more]“At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, ‘Ask. What should I give you?’” (1 Kings 3:5)
Where do dreams go in the cold, harsh light of day? Some are so faint that no memory of them remains when we open our eyes. Some are frightened away by the real world and dissolve into steaming green goo like the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz. Remember? “I’m melting…” Yet, there are those dreams that linger. They visit us throughout the day returning at quiet moments or when we take the time to meditate upon them. Some even occur night after night as though they are trying to tell us something that we just aren’t grasping. As if, perhaps, God wants us to get a message from them. And … maybe He does. Throughout Scriptures it is not uncommon to read of times when God spoke to people in dreams. Joseph, Pharaoh, Solomon, Nebuchadnezzar, Mary’s Joseph, and others all heard from the Lord in this way. In fact, in many parts of the world, it is still common for people to claim that...
[Read more]“Open your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ready for harvest.” John 4:35
On Saturday, our church helped to sort donations at a local ministry that serves homeless women and their children. As I emptied a packed room that had a jumbled mixture of treasures and trash stacked from the floor to the ceiling, I commented that I couldn’t believe so many people had donated damaged or stained items. Miss Liz, the founder of the ministry, smiled wryly and responded that one person’s junk is another person’s treasure. Grunting my less-than-hearty affirmation, I just kept sorting, but her words stuck in my head, and I started to think about the deeper truth of her statement. We do tend to see whatever it is that we are looking for. Miss Liz is a perfect example of this truth herself. You see, she finds homeless people. She tells story after story of times when she was driving down a road and noticed a mother and her children huddled under a bridge or when she stopped for gas but instead ended up...
[Read more]“Therefore, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall!” 1 Corinthians 10:12
Have you ever noticed that just when you think you finally have it all together something happens, and you find yourself face to face with big-time temptation? You know, you work hard on the treadmill and eat nothing but “rabbit food” for days, and, suddenly, your best friend shows up at your door with a box of chocolate-covered, crème-filled Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Or you make real progress in your efforts to have a daily quiet time. Things are going great, and you are really growing in your relationship with the Lord, when your boss changes your work schedule, and you have to get up an hour earlier to make it to work. Just when you think you’ve got it covered, everything changes, and you find yourself floundering or, even worse, falling. Well … good news! You aren’t alone in your battle—“God is faithful and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able [to bear]” (1 Cor. 10:13).
Peter knew what it...
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