Good Morning,
“If they could be made God’s people by what they did,
God’s gift of grace would not really be a gift.”
Romans 11:6
He sat in my office and declared himself “unworthy”. His life was a mess. Turmoil barely describes it. A second marriage on the rocks. “I wasn’t the Christian man my wife has needed me to be.” “I’ve been something I never thought I’d be.” The devil has been defeating him with the same temptation over and over again. And then he said something so important. “I don’t have the will power to defeat this.” You could almost hear the devil say “oh no”, Satan winced, hell groaned. Because now this man was ready for grace and help and mercy and all the things that only come as gifts from God.
Where will your struggle come from today? Will it be a personal issue? Money matters? Marriage struggle? Kid junk? Here’s the deal, you don’t have enough will power to win the battle by will power alone. You’re going to need a gift from God, a gift of grace or patience or wisdom or discernment or the strength of the Holy Spirit. But it’s His gift to give. Ask Him, ask Him for it early in the day, anticipating your need.
He’s not a heavenly Santa Claus; but He loves to give to His children. Confess that you need His help (swallow hard and confess it) and then ask humbly as a son or daughter asks a Father. It could turn a potentially horrible day into a day you’ll remember as a day when God reached into your life in a very special way.
It is a gift to be All In His care, and on His gift list.
Good Morning,
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart,
all your soul, and all your mind.”
Mt. 22:37
They may deny it, but look deep enough into someone’s heart and you’ll find that they desire true meaning for their life. “What is the purpose for my life, why am I here?” is a question that I believe everyone asks themselves at some point. Some search for that meaning in a career and there are some very noble careers. My son-in-law is a doctor, wonderful vocation, but hardly the justification for his existence. I once read that there’s a difference between a human “doing” and a human “being”. Who you are is not what you do. If you think it is, then you’ll probably do “it” a lot because without your work you’ll have no identity.
Others say what they are is what they have. So they find meaning in a new car or new house or new clothes or new technological gadgets. Such people are great for the economy but bad for the budget as they’re constantly seeking their meaning in the next thing to own. Others find their meaning in sports or sex or cults or academics, whatever, you name it and it will just be one more mirage in the desert of life’s search for purpose for being here.
Truth: if we do not settle that we are here for one reason and one alone which is directly tied to God’s will for us, we end up being just one more wreckage on the coral reefs of Vanity Island.
Jesus told us why we’re here and how to express it in the scripture above. Do well today, sell, create, win, convince, laugh, heal, organize, merge, etc. etc. etc. But do not forget the real purpose for even your being alive today.
Heart, Soul & Mind, All In Love with the Lord your God.
Good Morning,
Here we are in the valley of summer, that awful period between the Marion County Fair and the Popcorn Festival. OSU football is still way off. The Cubs stink out loud. And it’s really hard to get excited about the big World Cup game between Kazhakisjanistan and Ghhhaaannnaswana.
Where’s the excitement? Where are the thrills going to come from? What’s to get jacked up about? Who do we root for, besides Elin’s divorce lawyer?
Hurray the government said I can own a gun! Wait a minute, weren’t we given that right 234 years ago?
Well if there’s not all that much to cheer about in your life right now, try thinking about your next life. The one where there will be no tears, where children who died young will be embraced again by mom and dad, where words like blind and crippled and deaf won’t mean anything, where divorces are forgotten, along with all other betrayals. That life where they need no lamp or sun for the Light of the world will be always shining. Think about homecomings and banquets set for those who have won their crowns and crystal flowing rivers and trees and life, life the way it was meant to be.
And if you’re not into cheering, maybe you could just back away from all your “important” thoughts, and at least say thank you to the God who will have it all waiting for you there, in that life.
“Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” . . . “Whoever seeks Me with his whole heart will find Me” . . . “Whosoever surrenders, wins!”
All In one hot summer day at a time!
Good Morning,
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”
That’s the question Paul asked and then answered; he said no we shall conquer whatever may try to separate us from the love of Christ. Perhaps the more appropriate question for you is this one. “Who or what will you allow to separate you from the love of Christ?”
Did you notice that in Romans 8 Paul didn’t say that nothing can separate us. He said he’s convinced that nothing will be able to separate us. It is language that sounds to me like there’s an unmentioned element to the equation. Death can separate me but I will not allow it to do so. I can be turned against God in unbearable grief but I will not allow it. A broken heart can separate me, make me feel totally removed from even God’s love. But I refuse to allow the pain inflicted upon me by man or woman to conceal from my heart the love of God which is ever reaching out to me. It’s a matter of resolve, not mind over matter. Because as a matter of fact some things really hurt and wound and scar. But resolve resides deep inside of my soul where it cannot be reached by any outside forces. It can only be changed from within and I will not allow it.
What is it that’s trying to separate you from the love of Christ in your life today? Look to what you have resolved and do not allow it to be changed. Not today, speak not for all of the tomorrows, but not today!!!!!
I pray today for all of you who are resolved to be loved by God.
Stay All In, Today.
Good Morning,
“I have learned the secret of being happy at any time
in everything that happens.”
Phil. 4:12
This is one of those verses that makes me feel very inadequate. If this was the final exam, I’d probably fail it three days out of seven. I’m better at the King James Version which talks about being content; I’m much better at being content than happy.
Look into Paul’s prison cell, do you see him? Bent over, frail-looking, shackled to a guard. There he is, the great apostle Paul. Dead broke, no family, no property, not much health left. He doesn’t look like much does he? At times his self-description wasn’t too impressive, “worst sinner in history” and “what a miserable man I am”. And yet after the pause, after a little bit of self-pity, he writes, “I thank God for saving me through Jesus Christ our Lord”, Rom. 7:25.
So go ahead and take a minute or two to feel bad about yourself. Throw the pity party for another minute. Then slap yourself. You are saved through Jesus Christ. Or are you? If not, then go ahead and let the pity party go on a whole lot longer. But if you are saved, it’s going to be a good day.
All In, even on a bad day.
Good Morning,
The Mamas and Papas sang: “Summer’s here and the time is right for dancing in the street’
The Lovin Spoonful sang: “Hot town, summer in the city, back of my neck getting dirty and gritty”
Mungo Jerry sang: “In the summertime when the weather is hot, you can stretch right up and touch the sky”
I don’t know about your “dancin” or the back of your neck or how high you can reach, but it’s summertime. Vacations, picnics, cook-outs, ball games, etc. etc. etc. I hope you have a great summer 2010. Graduating seniors are going to be getting ready for first college experiences and parents will get ready to say the big good-bye. There will be family reunions and we will know that it may be the last time we see grandpa or grandma. We’ll see old friends at the beach or the golf resort or up at the lake or down in the Ozarks, and we’ll drive away thinking about how things have changed, or stayed the same. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day a lot is going to take place in your family and among your friends. You’ll be so busy that . . .
“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and ________ is/are not saved”
Jeremiah 8:20
You fill in the blank. Is it that good friend you’re playing golf with? Is it that favorite couple you enjoy cooking out with? Is it the guy you’re playing softball with? Is it your son/daughter heading off to college? Is it your spouse that you still love, still pray for, still ache for their salvation? Win all the games you can, eat all the Brats you can stand, get some sun, have some fun; but let’s not forget the harvest is coming. Just as surely as the green stalks of corn will turn brown, there will be a harvest of souls. Keep the spiritual things in mind as you race through this summer. Be intentional about your praying. Keep a slot open on your daily calendar. Before heading down to the beach, go out on the balcony and have a few minutes with God. Before getting out of the car at the ballpark, pause to share a moment with your Savior. Before enjoying all that you will enjoy this summer, remember who is your Lord and feel the love in His heart for those who are not yet saved.
All Summer All In
Good Morning,
“He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.”
Mt. 14:14
I read something the other day that took my mind in a new direction from this verse. Matthew didn’t say that Jesus healed their “righteous” sick; he didn’t say that Jesus healed those who were worthy. He healed their sick, not some of them, all of them who were brought to him because they were sick. I don’t know how big that crowd was, 10, 50, 100’s? But surely out of whatever the number, there were a few who were not holy, not even close, maybe even blasphemous. There was a time in my life when by all rights, if I had come to Jesus asking to be healed, He should have just sent me away. I didn’t deserve any consideration; but my relationship with Jesus has never been about what I deserved.
Out of that crowd I’m sure there were some who took their healing and went on to be unjust, even cruel to others. Jesus may have given speech to the mute who went on to curse and take God’s name in vain. He opened blind eyes that would become lustful. Perhaps Jesus healed someone who went on to be a murderer. What a man or woman does with Christ’s compassion is totally their choice. One day when he/she stands before Christ, there will be the memory of all that Jesus had done to change their hearts. Then, if I took His compassion and let it change my heart, for eternity I will rejoice; however, if I took His compassion and hardened my heart, Hell will be couched in the heartbreak of knowing what I had thrown away.
Let’s be reminded today of His great compassion on us and live All In His Spirit today.
Good Morning,
I was in someone’s home recently and one of their grown children came in. She went directly to the fridge and helped herself to something cold to drink. It was so natural; it felt so normal to do that. Her parents were perfectly comfortable with her raiding the fridge and helping herself. Why, because it was “home”, and as long as mom and dad are living, their house will always feel like home.
“I have chosen you out of this world,
so you don’t belong to it.”
Jn. 15:19
For a few years I was doing a lot of traveling related to positions I held in the church. It seemed like I was on a plane every 5-6 weeks. I would fly into Nashville or San Diego or San Francisco or Dallas or Orlando, get a shuttle to a hotel and my room would be waiting for me. Reservations had been made at a very nice four star hotel. Upon arrival I was treated better than my actual standing in life would merit. Without exception the accommodations were the best. And yet, it wasn’t home. The bed wasn’t my bed. The restaurant food was top notch, but not home cooking. The staff at the hotel were ready to meet my every need; but they couldn’t possibly take the place of the people I’d left behind at home.
We don’t always feel welcome here on earth. People can make us feel unwelcome; indeed the reality is that this world is not as warm toward Christians as it was fifty years ago. Have you ever felt out of place? Like an intruder? a stranger? an interloper in a land that wasn’t home? The scriptures tell us that we shouldn’t feel welcome here. This isn’t our home. It’s spiritually healthy to feel “not at home” here. The condition of this world clearly tells me this wasn’t meant to be my home. The aches and strains I feel clearly tells me that this body wasn’t meant to be eternal. The old song says “This world is not my home; I’m just a-passin through”.
If we stay All In, we’ll see each other at Home.
Good Morning,
My internet connection is gone this morning. I don’t know when you will get this. It’s the third time in three days that it’s been disconnected. Yesterday a video clip didn’t work in two of the three services. Why am I just as frustrated today as I was thirty years ago? Thirty years ago the stencil on my mimeograph sometimes got a wrinkle in it and I had to retype the stupid thing on my manual typewriter. Thirty years ago there were some cold mornings when I had to get out of my car, raise the hood, use a screwdriver to hold open the float on the air intake to get my car to start. Thirty years ago I’d get frustrated because the song leader, who was my biggest tither, would always sing every verse of every hymn. Today I get frustrated if we don’t sing at least one verse of a hymn.
What’s the answer? Is the source of my frustration really the mimeograph or ditto machine, the overhead projector or the sticky float? Is it the cordless mouse, wireless connection, satellite radio or flat screen television? Maybe I’ll just take a few deep breaths and be still for a few minutes.
“Be still and know that I am God!”
Okay.
…
AAAhhhhhhh, that’s better.
Try it, it might be good to be reminded. He’s still God and I’m still All In.
Good Morning,
Grace is indeed an amazing subject. I say grace. I preach about grace. I sing about grace. I need grace. Some are said to have grace. What is it really? And what’s the point of it?
“He gave Himself for us so He might pay the price to free us
from all evil and to make us pure people who belong only to Him.”
Titus 2:14
Unfortunately there are days in my life when I’m sure I say grace more than I offer grace. And there have been times in my life when I probably took advantage of God’s grace. How about you? Have you ever spiritually compromised tonight, knowing you would confess tomorrow? Have you ever done what you knew was wrong in God’s sight, displeasing to Him, sinful, but you went ahead fully believing that He would forgive you later? Is that imposing upon the grace of God? Is that tempting God, is it pushing Him into a corner, making Him forgive because He said He would?
Is that the divine intent of grace? Are God’s promises of grace meant to offer us a loophole from retribution for our continued disobedience? Do you think when it says “to make us a pure people”, that it’s talking about us being grace-drenched disobeyers, presuming upon the loving grace of God? I don’t think grace is meant to be anything like that at all. I think by grace we are all given a chance to truly live for God, lives that honor Him. And I think if we choose to accept His grace as we strive to live good and holy lives, by His grace we’ll one day, in the twinkling of an eye, meet Him in the air.
When with a loud voice Christ calls us All In, I want to be there with you.