A co-worker posted this. I think its from Turning Point.
A Spanish father and son had a falling out, and the son ran away. The father set off to find him, and after months of looking to no avail, he finally put an ad in the Madrid newspaper. It read: “Dear Paco, meet in front of the newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your father.” 800 Pacos showed up to the newspaper office that Saturday, all looking for love and forgiveness from their fathers.
Forgiveness is a difficult concept. Our main point of reference on the subject is how hard it is to forgive someone who has hurt us or a loved one. And because we struggle with forgiving others, we sometimes have a hard time accepting God’s forgiveness. But regardless of how we view God’s willingness and ability to forgive, He sees us in purity through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, rather than in the filth of our sin.
When we feel like running away from God because our sin is just too great, we have to remember that all is forgiven. He loves us, and He is waiting for us with open arms.
Grace and Peace
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The Buzzard, The Bat, And The Bumblebee
A co-worker posted this:
If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.
In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up!
That's the answer, the escape route, and the solution to any problem. Just look up!
Grace and Peace
If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.
In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up!
That's the answer, the escape route, and the solution to any problem. Just look up!
Grace and Peace
Friday, November 13, 2009
Three Bullets
A co-worker posted this:
There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat. He had an old rifle and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out hunting and kill some wild game for dinner. As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit. He shot at the rabbit and missed it.
The rabbit ran away. Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it.
The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree.
As he went further, he saw a large wild "Tom" turkey in the tree, but he had only one bullet remaining.
A voice spoke to him and said, "Pray first, aim high and stay focused."
However, at the same time, he saw a deer which was a better kill. He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer. But, then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him, so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattlesnake. Still, the voice said again to him, "I said 'Pray, aim high and stay focused.'"
So, the man decided to listen to God's voice.
He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree and shot the wild turkey. The bullet bounced off the turkey and killed the deer. The handle fell off the gun and hit the snake in the head and killed it. And, when the gun had gone off, it knocked him into a pond. When he stood up to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a dead deer and a turkey to eat for his family. The snake was dead simply because the man listened to God.
The moral of the story:
Pray first before you do anything, aim and shoot high in your goals, and stay focused on God. Never let others discourage you concerning your past. The past is exactly that, the past. Live every day one day at a time and remember that only God knows our future and that he will not put you through any more than you can bear.
Do not look to man for your blessings, but look to the doors that only He has prepared in advance for you in your favor. Wait, be still and patient. Keep God first and everything else will follow.
Grace and Peace
There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat. He had an old rifle and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out hunting and kill some wild game for dinner. As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit. He shot at the rabbit and missed it.
The rabbit ran away. Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it.
The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree.
As he went further, he saw a large wild "Tom" turkey in the tree, but he had only one bullet remaining.
A voice spoke to him and said, "Pray first, aim high and stay focused."
However, at the same time, he saw a deer which was a better kill. He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer. But, then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him, so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattlesnake. Still, the voice said again to him, "I said 'Pray, aim high and stay focused.'"
So, the man decided to listen to God's voice.
He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree and shot the wild turkey. The bullet bounced off the turkey and killed the deer. The handle fell off the gun and hit the snake in the head and killed it. And, when the gun had gone off, it knocked him into a pond. When he stood up to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a dead deer and a turkey to eat for his family. The snake was dead simply because the man listened to God.
The moral of the story:
Pray first before you do anything, aim and shoot high in your goals, and stay focused on God. Never let others discourage you concerning your past. The past is exactly that, the past. Live every day one day at a time and remember that only God knows our future and that he will not put you through any more than you can bear.
Do not look to man for your blessings, but look to the doors that only He has prepared in advance for you in your favor. Wait, be still and patient. Keep God first and everything else will follow.
Grace and Peace
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Flair Minimum
There's a movie called Office Space I liked in my B.C. days. There's a recurring bit in the movie about a girl who works at a restaurant where she's required to put on "flair". In other words, a bunch of pins, buttons, and other junk, all over her waitress outfit. She has a requirement of a bare minimum 15 pieces of flair, but her boss always encourages her to wear more flair. He's kind of a pest about it, always asking her if she wants to just get by doing the "bare minimum" or get into the spirit of the whole "flair thing" like everybody else. She obviously just wants to do the bare minimum, because really she thinks the flair is stupid, and he persists in condeming that person who just...does...the...bare...minimum.
Well I can understand how this girl's attitude was toward flair. I might just want to melt all my flair down into a tiny "flair ball" and chuck it in the garbage can!
But what's our attitude toward God?
Are we the kind of people who approach God's Word with the idea that we're going to look through it and see just how sinful we can be and still get to heaven. Sometimes people ask questions like "Can I be a Christian and still" or "God will forgive me if I do right?" or "How much am I required to give?" or "Do I really need to go to church that much?" Wrong questions. Wrong approach. The idea is not to see just how close we can cuddle up to sin and how much we can hold on to the world and still be right with God. We should examine our lives well to make sure we don't do this type of thing as Christians, for that is not how we are to act.
Our great and glorious God abhors sin and a lukewarm attitude, and, as his followers, so should we.
Our approach should not be to do the bare minimum and grudgingly put on Christian flair. No, it should be to pursue God with everything we've got! Sure, we're going to mess that up. But that doesn't mean we should settle for mediocrity and complacency in our walk with the Lord. The world is a huge current of water trying to knock us down and wash us away -- if we don't keep swimming against it, we're going to be crushed, defeated, and a far cry from the children of God we're supposed to be. So let's all pray for on another that we grow stronger in the Lord with each passing day and have our hearts and minds always set on him and his amazing grace and love!
Grace and Peace
Well I can understand how this girl's attitude was toward flair. I might just want to melt all my flair down into a tiny "flair ball" and chuck it in the garbage can!
But what's our attitude toward God?
Are we the kind of people who approach God's Word with the idea that we're going to look through it and see just how sinful we can be and still get to heaven. Sometimes people ask questions like "Can I be a Christian and still
Our great and glorious God abhors sin and a lukewarm attitude, and, as his followers, so should we.
Our approach should not be to do the bare minimum and grudgingly put on Christian flair. No, it should be to pursue God with everything we've got! Sure, we're going to mess that up. But that doesn't mean we should settle for mediocrity and complacency in our walk with the Lord. The world is a huge current of water trying to knock us down and wash us away -- if we don't keep swimming against it, we're going to be crushed, defeated, and a far cry from the children of God we're supposed to be. So let's all pray for on another that we grow stronger in the Lord with each passing day and have our hearts and minds always set on him and his amazing grace and love!
Grace and Peace
Friday, November 6, 2009
Don't Offend Me
How do you like that phrase "Happy Holidays"? I can't stand it very much myself. But what I don't really get is someone who believes in Jesus yet refrains from the traditional "Merry Christmas" so they don't "offend" people who don't believe in Christ.
That's dumb.
Let me throw out another one. I've had people now and again tell me that they don't agree with what I believe -- but that its okay because I still don't "offend" them.
That's also dumb.
Look, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, came to earth to die for us. God reached into my life and into my heart and totally changed it. The truth about why we need him, what he did for us, what we need to do, and what he expects of us is recorded in his best selling book, the Bible.
So, if my God, the one true and only God, offends -- if what he wants of you offends -- if the message of the cross, offends -- too bad. If you're offended, you're wrong, and he's right, end of story. Sorry, you don't get to argue. He's God.
"Wow, you're pretty arrogant" some might say, and some have said.
I might be if I was saying this on my own authority. But, no, I'm not, because a year and a half ago I didn't know the one true God either. I was fine not paying any attention to spiritual things and living life totally for myself and what would make me "happy". I was a sinner through and through, no doubt about it. The residue from a depraved and wicked heart still haunts me now and again.
Yet, God saved me.
That's right, he saved me. I didn't save myself. I didn't do anything on my own that gives me any kind of right to stand up and say under my own authority "this is the way it is and this is what you need to do." No, Almighty God reached out into my life and did the work himself. All I did was cry out to him from complete brokenness after being shown the sad state I was in. He did the rest.
So when I say that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and you need to trust him for your salvation -- when I say that religious systems where we work for our salvation are false -- when I say that this or that detracts from Christ alone, I don't say it out of my own arrogance or self-righteousness. I say it based on the Scripture-backed experience of crying out to a merciful, wonderful, holy, perfect God who has the power to save anyone who puts their trust in him. If he can save ME and lead me to repentance and eternal life, he can certainly save anyone else!
That's not offensive. That's truth, and its absolutely wonderful. Praise the LORD!
Grace, Peace, and (a very early) Merry Christmas!
That's dumb.
Let me throw out another one. I've had people now and again tell me that they don't agree with what I believe -- but that its okay because I still don't "offend" them.
That's also dumb.
Look, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, came to earth to die for us. God reached into my life and into my heart and totally changed it. The truth about why we need him, what he did for us, what we need to do, and what he expects of us is recorded in his best selling book, the Bible.
So, if my God, the one true and only God, offends -- if what he wants of you offends -- if the message of the cross, offends -- too bad. If you're offended, you're wrong, and he's right, end of story. Sorry, you don't get to argue. He's God.
"Wow, you're pretty arrogant" some might say, and some have said.
I might be if I was saying this on my own authority. But, no, I'm not, because a year and a half ago I didn't know the one true God either. I was fine not paying any attention to spiritual things and living life totally for myself and what would make me "happy". I was a sinner through and through, no doubt about it. The residue from a depraved and wicked heart still haunts me now and again.
Yet, God saved me.
That's right, he saved me. I didn't save myself. I didn't do anything on my own that gives me any kind of right to stand up and say under my own authority "this is the way it is and this is what you need to do." No, Almighty God reached out into my life and did the work himself. All I did was cry out to him from complete brokenness after being shown the sad state I was in. He did the rest.
So when I say that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and you need to trust him for your salvation -- when I say that religious systems where we work for our salvation are false -- when I say that this or that detracts from Christ alone, I don't say it out of my own arrogance or self-righteousness. I say it based on the Scripture-backed experience of crying out to a merciful, wonderful, holy, perfect God who has the power to save anyone who puts their trust in him. If he can save ME and lead me to repentance and eternal life, he can certainly save anyone else!
That's not offensive. That's truth, and its absolutely wonderful. Praise the LORD!
Grace, Peace, and (a very early) Merry Christmas!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Sad Sad Values
I just explained to my oldest daughter what an abortion was today. Her immediate two responses were "I'm glad I didn't get killed!" and "That's wrong, I want to help so no other babies get killed!" I'm so thankful to God for my precious precious miracle and the heart he has put in her.
So while I was Googling around for an anti-abortion place where we could volunteer together at (still haven't found one, so if you know of one, please share), I came across this:
http://www.fwhc.org/abortion/fake.htm
It pissed me off. So now I'm going to rant.
"these groups want to be the first contact a woman makes when she thinks she might be pregnant, so they can talk her out of considering abortion."
Good! Praise the Lord! That's a lot better than being held accountable for murder, better than feeling the guilt from being responsible for it, and better than hardening her heart even further.
"They do NOT provide referrals for abortion."
Good!
"While waiting, they are forced to watch anti-abortion videos or be surrounded by anti-abortion propaganda."
Good! If you're going to murder someone, you *should* see *exactly* what happens to them, shouldn't you?
"They complain that their confidential information was used against them. In some cases, they were followed home, and mail and phone calls intruded into their homes."
If that saves a life, good! What kind of argument is that? Oh NO, *mail* and *phone calls*. How DARE you! *Mail* *intruded*? Give me a break. Can I throw a hissy fit for all these coupons and ads I don't want because it is "intruding into my home"?
"They attempt to make women feel guilty."
Good, but they don't do it. That guilt comes out of a failure to totally suppress her God-given moral compass.
"They advise unmarried women to abstain from sex, presenting abstinence as the only way to avoid pregnancy."
Good! That seems to be pretty effective. 100% I believe!
"IF you discover you are seeking help from an anti-abortion facility, protect yourself from further harassment."
Wow, that just takes the cake! What a sad look at the values of the world. *Protect* yourself from *harassment*! OH NO! I might hear and see things I don't like and want to ignore because someone is trying to *protect* someone else from *death*!
Someone tell me again why we shouldn't just run a wrecking ball through every abortion clinic we see? At night after the janitor's gone home of course.
May the Lord open the hearts of every "pro-choice" person in this world so that they see the evil they support and come to repentance.
Grace and Peace
So while I was Googling around for an anti-abortion place where we could volunteer together at (still haven't found one, so if you know of one, please share), I came across this:
http://www.fwhc.org/abortion/fake.htm
It pissed me off. So now I'm going to rant.
"these groups want to be the first contact a woman makes when she thinks she might be pregnant, so they can talk her out of considering abortion."
Good! Praise the Lord! That's a lot better than being held accountable for murder, better than feeling the guilt from being responsible for it, and better than hardening her heart even further.
"They do NOT provide referrals for abortion."
Good!
"While waiting, they are forced to watch anti-abortion videos or be surrounded by anti-abortion propaganda."
Good! If you're going to murder someone, you *should* see *exactly* what happens to them, shouldn't you?
"They complain that their confidential information was used against them. In some cases, they were followed home, and mail and phone calls intruded into their homes."
If that saves a life, good! What kind of argument is that? Oh NO, *mail* and *phone calls*. How DARE you! *Mail* *intruded*? Give me a break. Can I throw a hissy fit for all these coupons and ads I don't want because it is "intruding into my home"?
"They attempt to make women feel guilty."
Good, but they don't do it. That guilt comes out of a failure to totally suppress her God-given moral compass.
"They advise unmarried women to abstain from sex, presenting abstinence as the only way to avoid pregnancy."
Good! That seems to be pretty effective. 100% I believe!
"IF you discover you are seeking help from an anti-abortion facility, protect yourself from further harassment."
Wow, that just takes the cake! What a sad look at the values of the world. *Protect* yourself from *harassment*! OH NO! I might hear and see things I don't like and want to ignore because someone is trying to *protect* someone else from *death*!
Someone tell me again why we shouldn't just run a wrecking ball through every abortion clinic we see? At night after the janitor's gone home of course.
May the Lord open the hearts of every "pro-choice" person in this world so that they see the evil they support and come to repentance.
Grace and Peace
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Ups And Downs
I get the phrase "walking with the Lord" but I think for my own life at time I won't use that one. I think I'll go with "riding Space Mountain with the Lord." That seems more appropriate. You know where the ride ultimately ends, but to get there its a crazy ride. Sometimes you can see where you're going, but most of the time you can't. And there are a lot of ups and downs!
It's those ups and downs that are on my mind today. Sometimes I get into this mode where I'm just riding a high where nothing is going wrong and nothing can get me down. The ride just goes up and up and up and I somehow think "hey man, I've got eternal life through Jesus Christ, NOTHING can ruin this mood!"
I'm an idiot.
Even on a day that's been totally wrapped up in the Lord, things can, and do, go awry. There's been times when it took just an instance for a few darts from the devil to get through and cause me to crash down. And then stupidly I think "What's going on here? God, I thought I was your kid! What happened here?!"
Ditto the idiot comment.
Those ups and downs are really more superficial emotions. The calm delight inside that comes from knowing and growing closer to my Father and my Savior is still there on both kinds of days. During the down times I might not pay attention to it enough, but as soon as I've passed through an emotional valley and my senses are coming back to me, I feel that delight in the Lord restoring me from the inside out.
It seems to be useful to distinguish between the way we feel in the core of our being, which gets transformed by Christ when we come to him, and the shallow easy-come-easy-go emotional roller coaster ride that we experience day to day. I think when we're in Christ and have a solid handle on the former, the latter shouldn't affect us so much!
As God has been showing this to me, it became clear also that he has used both the ups and downs to work in my life. Logically during the highest highs I've been used for the benefit of others while during the lowest lows I've been shown areas in my life in need of improvement.
Thanks, Dad, for an awesome ride!
Grace and Peace
It's those ups and downs that are on my mind today. Sometimes I get into this mode where I'm just riding a high where nothing is going wrong and nothing can get me down. The ride just goes up and up and up and I somehow think "hey man, I've got eternal life through Jesus Christ, NOTHING can ruin this mood!"
I'm an idiot.
Even on a day that's been totally wrapped up in the Lord, things can, and do, go awry. There's been times when it took just an instance for a few darts from the devil to get through and cause me to crash down. And then stupidly I think "What's going on here? God, I thought I was your kid! What happened here?!"
Ditto the idiot comment.
Those ups and downs are really more superficial emotions. The calm delight inside that comes from knowing and growing closer to my Father and my Savior is still there on both kinds of days. During the down times I might not pay attention to it enough, but as soon as I've passed through an emotional valley and my senses are coming back to me, I feel that delight in the Lord restoring me from the inside out.
It seems to be useful to distinguish between the way we feel in the core of our being, which gets transformed by Christ when we come to him, and the shallow easy-come-easy-go emotional roller coaster ride that we experience day to day. I think when we're in Christ and have a solid handle on the former, the latter shouldn't affect us so much!
As God has been showing this to me, it became clear also that he has used both the ups and downs to work in my life. Logically during the highest highs I've been used for the benefit of others while during the lowest lows I've been shown areas in my life in need of improvement.
Thanks, Dad, for an awesome ride!
Grace and Peace
Average American Christian
I just read something that blew my mind, and not in a good way. "The average Christian in the United States spends ten minutes per day with God; meanwhile, the average American spends over four hours a day watching television."
That's sad. I have some questions for the "average American Christian" mentioned above:
- Do you wonder why you feel so far away from God?
- Do you feel your prayers never get answered or even heard?
- Do you lose the struggle against this sin or that one time and time again?
- Do you want desperately to know what true joy actually feels like?
If the initial statement is true about the "average American Christian" then I expect a lot of "yes" answers from the one that fits the bill. The reason for that is simple, the "average American Christian" serves a different god. Television, maybe, or one of a million hobbies that could take its place. But really its more simple than that; the false god here is "self".
So let's not waste so much of our time with things of this world that just don't matter in the end! Let's keep our hearts and our minds focused on, and centered around, Christ! Immersing ourselves in the things of the Lord is far better than indulging ourselves in the things of the world!
Grace and Peace
That's sad. I have some questions for the "average American Christian" mentioned above:
- Do you wonder why you feel so far away from God?
- Do you feel your prayers never get answered or even heard?
- Do you lose the struggle against this sin or that one time and time again?
- Do you want desperately to know what true joy actually feels like?
If the initial statement is true about the "average American Christian" then I expect a lot of "yes" answers from the one that fits the bill. The reason for that is simple, the "average American Christian" serves a different god. Television, maybe, or one of a million hobbies that could take its place. But really its more simple than that; the false god here is "self".
So let's not waste so much of our time with things of this world that just don't matter in the end! Let's keep our hearts and our minds focused on, and centered around, Christ! Immersing ourselves in the things of the Lord is far better than indulging ourselves in the things of the world!
Grace and Peace
Monday, November 2, 2009
Beautiful Christian Sister
A co-worker sent this out. I like it.
BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN SISTER
By Maya Angelou
'A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ
That a man should have to seek Him first to find her.'
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not shouting 'I'm clean living,'
I'm whispering 'I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven.'
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.
When I say.. 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.
When I say.... 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain...
I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!
Pretty is as Pretty does... But beautiful is just plain beautiful!
Grace and Peace
BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN SISTER
By Maya Angelou
'A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ
That a man should have to seek Him first to find her.'
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not shouting 'I'm clean living,'
I'm whispering 'I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven.'
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.
When I say.. 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.
When I say.... 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain...
I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!
Pretty is as Pretty does... But beautiful is just plain beautiful!
Grace and Peace
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