You may have heard of the five love languages before. If not, briefly, these are five distinct categories, or languages, in which we can show and receive love. The concept is mainly applied to married couples -- the husband and wife may both be earnestly trying to show love to each other but neither feels loved for some reason. The problem in that case is they speak different love languages. The solution is to learn the love language, or languages, of their partner and learn to speak that language. Its a pretty cool concept, and so true.
The five love languages are words of affirmation, acts of service, giving gifts, quality time, and physical touch. Try to find a genuine act of love that you show your spouse and its going to fit into one of these categories.
But I had an interesting thought tonight. Okay maybe boring to you, but interesting to me. How do these languages apply in other relationships, particularly our relationship with God?
I am fully convinced God can hear us speak love to him in any of these languages, but how do we? Let's think about it.
Words of affirmation. That sounds like a big chunk of Psalms to me. Much "worship music". How about just dancing like David before the LORD praising his name and lifting it up? Praise is very good.
Acts of service. That sounds like meeting the physical and spiritual needs of others. Feed the hungry out on the streets of the city. Help your neighbor, your biblical neighbor that is, out when they need it. Do a service project through a local church. Anything where you get out there and be the hands and feet of Jesus. Service is good.
Giving gifts. That sounds like offerings to me. God has given us so much, how hard is it to give some back to him? Send tithes to your church home. Sponsor a child in another country. Support a missionary. Help fund a special project through the church. There are so many ways to do it. Giving is good.
Quality time. That sounds like prayer and getting into the word to me. Just spend time with the LORD talking to him and listening to him speak to your heart. Don't speed read the Bible just to meet your reading plan. Don't rush through rote prayers you say all the time without thinking. If your heart isn't in it, God doesn't want it. Spending some real time with him is good.
Physical touch. Okay, I admit I don't know about this one. But I can think of how it could play out the other way round. Its when we stand before Jesus Christ one day. After a lifetime of applying the above four languages to our relationship with Jesus, what a joy it would be to hear, as he puts his hand on a shoulder, "well done, good and faithful servant, well done."
Grace and Peace
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
D-Day
I heard an analogy from Duncan Forbes today I thought was awesome.
He was preaching on how Satan tries to mess up the church and tempt us all the time, pulling us away from Jesus. I know, as many of us do, this experience first hand. Satan is a punk who just doesn't let up. And, sadly, too often, we give into him without even knowing it. Praise the longsuffering of God to put up with fickle beings such as us.
But the point Duncan was making was about the question of why the heck is Satan still rolling around trying to mess us up when Jesus got victory over him on the cross? A good question indeed.
Remember World War II from history class? How about D-Day? How about VE-Day and VP-Day?
On D-Day the war was over. It was a massive invasion by the Allied forces and the climactic battle of the war. There were battles to go fight for almost another year, but really, it was over. Surrender finally happened in Europe on VE-Day and in Japan on VP-Day.
Our D-Day happened nearly 2000 years ago on the cross. Christ was victorious over sin and death. He won the war for us. We have some battles to fight until he returns and makes a new heaven and a new earth. But Satan has no hope. All he can do is try to drag us down with him into the lake of fire when he goes.
There are still many who need to take sides in this war that's already won. In this war, the soliders on the winning side rejoice when defectors have a change of heart and come to join them. Choose Victory. Choose Christ.
Grace and Peace
He was preaching on how Satan tries to mess up the church and tempt us all the time, pulling us away from Jesus. I know, as many of us do, this experience first hand. Satan is a punk who just doesn't let up. And, sadly, too often, we give into him without even knowing it. Praise the longsuffering of God to put up with fickle beings such as us.
But the point Duncan was making was about the question of why the heck is Satan still rolling around trying to mess us up when Jesus got victory over him on the cross? A good question indeed.
Remember World War II from history class? How about D-Day? How about VE-Day and VP-Day?
On D-Day the war was over. It was a massive invasion by the Allied forces and the climactic battle of the war. There were battles to go fight for almost another year, but really, it was over. Surrender finally happened in Europe on VE-Day and in Japan on VP-Day.
Our D-Day happened nearly 2000 years ago on the cross. Christ was victorious over sin and death. He won the war for us. We have some battles to fight until he returns and makes a new heaven and a new earth. But Satan has no hope. All he can do is try to drag us down with him into the lake of fire when he goes.
There are still many who need to take sides in this war that's already won. In this war, the soliders on the winning side rejoice when defectors have a change of heart and come to join them. Choose Victory. Choose Christ.
Grace and Peace
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
I (Ain't) Got The Joy Joy Joy?
What a rotten day! It wasn't really rotten because of the events of the day themselves, but more because of my attitude. You know what I did today? I let the little things of this life, this world, rob me of my joy today. How stupid. What a pitiful waste of my time and effort, just going through the day a grumpy curmudgeon.
My setup at work was broken. I had extra work to do that I didn't really think was that useful to do. I stayed later than normal and didn't go shoot baskets like I normally do these days. I scarfed down my dinner instead of really enjoying it. My daughter scratched a lady's car. Her response of "I'll have to look at it" instead of just letting it go got on my nerves.
My reactions to some of these were varied but not good. I was snappy at a co-worker who didn't deserve it at all -- a brother in Christ I like very much. I was stressed at the end of the day when I'm usually not. I didn't talk much to my wife. I rushed to get to AWANA. I was more controlling and snappy with my kids and didn't just chill out and enjoy their silliness and laughter.
What a bunch of garbage.
The events of the day are no excuse for letting my joy in the LORD get drained out of me! They are no excuse for the way I treated other people today. Today, more than most, I consider myself a failure at being salt and light.
It is no coincidence I think that in a tape by Chuck Smith I was listening to today, he retold a story I have heard him tell before on a different occassion. I remember it clearly because I thought it was odd he was telling the same story again. And it goes something like this...
He was just so happy in the LORD shopping at the local grocery store, thanking the LORD for the blessings in his life, when at the checkout, a man shoved right in front of him, cutting the line, smoking a nasty smelling cigar. Joy in the LORD, gone. Love your neighbor, gone. Kick your neighbor, on the rise. He wanted to shake the guy, tell him what's what, and shove that stinky cigar right down his throat.
I know the feeling.
But he handled it well. He refused to let junk like this keep his joy suppressed, left the line, and walked around getting his joy back. When he did and went back to the checkout, smelly cigar man was gone, and he was refreshed.
A very good message that I needed today. I intend to hit the streets for my Wednesday night run and get my joy back in just a few minutes. How dare I let it get squashed for so long today! I pray that next time it doesn't take me this long to realize what has happened.
I also pray that I'm a little more proactive about keeping my joy in tact. You know what I failed to do today? I failed to get into the word. I failed to start the day with the LORD in prayer. I had plenty of time before arriving at work. I had plenty of time at work. But I kind of shied away from the LORD today, trying to do this day all on my own. That worked out real good. Pfft. Bad human, no donut.
Praise our God of restoration, who loves us even when we're being stupid!
Grace, peace, and joy!
My setup at work was broken. I had extra work to do that I didn't really think was that useful to do. I stayed later than normal and didn't go shoot baskets like I normally do these days. I scarfed down my dinner instead of really enjoying it. My daughter scratched a lady's car. Her response of "I'll have to look at it" instead of just letting it go got on my nerves.
My reactions to some of these were varied but not good. I was snappy at a co-worker who didn't deserve it at all -- a brother in Christ I like very much. I was stressed at the end of the day when I'm usually not. I didn't talk much to my wife. I rushed to get to AWANA. I was more controlling and snappy with my kids and didn't just chill out and enjoy their silliness and laughter.
What a bunch of garbage.
The events of the day are no excuse for letting my joy in the LORD get drained out of me! They are no excuse for the way I treated other people today. Today, more than most, I consider myself a failure at being salt and light.
It is no coincidence I think that in a tape by Chuck Smith I was listening to today, he retold a story I have heard him tell before on a different occassion. I remember it clearly because I thought it was odd he was telling the same story again. And it goes something like this...
He was just so happy in the LORD shopping at the local grocery store, thanking the LORD for the blessings in his life, when at the checkout, a man shoved right in front of him, cutting the line, smoking a nasty smelling cigar. Joy in the LORD, gone. Love your neighbor, gone. Kick your neighbor, on the rise. He wanted to shake the guy, tell him what's what, and shove that stinky cigar right down his throat.
I know the feeling.
But he handled it well. He refused to let junk like this keep his joy suppressed, left the line, and walked around getting his joy back. When he did and went back to the checkout, smelly cigar man was gone, and he was refreshed.
A very good message that I needed today. I intend to hit the streets for my Wednesday night run and get my joy back in just a few minutes. How dare I let it get squashed for so long today! I pray that next time it doesn't take me this long to realize what has happened.
I also pray that I'm a little more proactive about keeping my joy in tact. You know what I failed to do today? I failed to get into the word. I failed to start the day with the LORD in prayer. I had plenty of time before arriving at work. I had plenty of time at work. But I kind of shied away from the LORD today, trying to do this day all on my own. That worked out real good. Pfft. Bad human, no donut.
Praise our God of restoration, who loves us even when we're being stupid!
Grace, peace, and joy!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Inquire Of The LORD
I was listening to Joshua recently and one part really spoke to me. The situation is that Israelites have crossed the Jordan into the promised land and are winning various battles. The neighbors are getting really worried about these new guys in the neighborhood wiping people out.
At one point these dudes come over from a nearby land to make a peace agreement with the Israelites, but they're faking where they are from. They wear old beat up shoes, torn up clothes, bring dried up moldy bread, and so on, so it looks like they've been traveling for a really long time. Yet they are right next door. Sneaky.
The Israelite men checked out their stuff, but they did not inquire of the LORD. Let me say that again because that's the phrase that stuck in my brain so greatly when I heard it. They did not inquire of the LORD.
Guess what happened next? The Israelites got suckered. They made a treaty with them, swearing by the LORD. Oops. Bad idea.
How often do we fail to inquire of the LORD in our own lives? Too often, consciously or not, I'm sure I'm thinking "Don't worry LORD (ha!) I've got this. I can do it. This is the way." Oh what a sorry sad waste of time and effort that is. How often do you hear people say "Well now all we can do is pray." What? Why are we not praying first instead of last? why are we trying to do so much on our own. No, let us bring everything we're unsure of before the LORD to see which way he would have us go. Let use bring we are sure of before the LORD to see if that assurance we have is really bunk.
Praise God for hearing all we have to say to him. Let us always inquire of the LORD.
Grace and Peace
At one point these dudes come over from a nearby land to make a peace agreement with the Israelites, but they're faking where they are from. They wear old beat up shoes, torn up clothes, bring dried up moldy bread, and so on, so it looks like they've been traveling for a really long time. Yet they are right next door. Sneaky.
The Israelite men checked out their stuff, but they did not inquire of the LORD. Let me say that again because that's the phrase that stuck in my brain so greatly when I heard it. They did not inquire of the LORD.
Guess what happened next? The Israelites got suckered. They made a treaty with them, swearing by the LORD. Oops. Bad idea.
How often do we fail to inquire of the LORD in our own lives? Too often, consciously or not, I'm sure I'm thinking "Don't worry LORD (ha!) I've got this. I can do it. This is the way." Oh what a sorry sad waste of time and effort that is. How often do you hear people say "Well now all we can do is pray." What? Why are we not praying first instead of last? why are we trying to do so much on our own. No, let us bring everything we're unsure of before the LORD to see which way he would have us go. Let use bring we are sure of before the LORD to see if that assurance we have is really bunk.
Praise God for hearing all we have to say to him. Let us always inquire of the LORD.
Grace and Peace
Hang Out With The LORD
After work today I went out to shoot some free throws. I've gotten into basketball and play "21" frequently enough where I want to get my percentage up. So far its in the low 40s, so I need some work!
Anyway, the first 100 didn't go so well. I ended with 42 percent. Not worse than typical, but not stellar. I've been there for a while, and I don't like staying stagnant. But I responded badly to it. I was an Israelite grumbling in the desert. Never mind the thanks I should have been giving for the ability to go shoot baskets, the great place I work for that actually has several basketball courts for their employees, the fact I'm not overworked and have the time to go out, the nice day it was outside, and so on!
How stupid of me.
I started the next 100 with a different attitude. Praise the LORD for putting it on my heart to do so! Before each basket, I would say a little prayer for someone -- usually someone I wanted the LORD to reach out and help. The people of Haiti and Chile. Chelsea King's family. Kids in AWANA. My co-workers who don't know the LORD. And so on. I had to be careful I thought about each one -- too easy to just rattle off a list that doesn't mean anything, like a human prayer wheel.
Now I don't want to pitch what I'm about to say as a way to get the LORD to do what you want -- can't do it -- not saying that! But after 25 baskets, when some guys showed up to play, I was at 68 percent and just having a blessed and great time hanging out with the LORD shooting baskets. A lot better than going it on my own.
I know of a pastor who has done the same kind of thing while he's surfing. Just hanging out with the LORD on the water going around the world in prayer for the missionaries trying to share the gospel in many hostile places. A fine idea indeed!
Praise the LORD just for his presence in our lives! May we always want to be with him, in every little thing.
Grace and Peace
Anyway, the first 100 didn't go so well. I ended with 42 percent. Not worse than typical, but not stellar. I've been there for a while, and I don't like staying stagnant. But I responded badly to it. I was an Israelite grumbling in the desert. Never mind the thanks I should have been giving for the ability to go shoot baskets, the great place I work for that actually has several basketball courts for their employees, the fact I'm not overworked and have the time to go out, the nice day it was outside, and so on!
How stupid of me.
I started the next 100 with a different attitude. Praise the LORD for putting it on my heart to do so! Before each basket, I would say a little prayer for someone -- usually someone I wanted the LORD to reach out and help. The people of Haiti and Chile. Chelsea King's family. Kids in AWANA. My co-workers who don't know the LORD. And so on. I had to be careful I thought about each one -- too easy to just rattle off a list that doesn't mean anything, like a human prayer wheel.
Now I don't want to pitch what I'm about to say as a way to get the LORD to do what you want -- can't do it -- not saying that! But after 25 baskets, when some guys showed up to play, I was at 68 percent and just having a blessed and great time hanging out with the LORD shooting baskets. A lot better than going it on my own.
I know of a pastor who has done the same kind of thing while he's surfing. Just hanging out with the LORD on the water going around the world in prayer for the missionaries trying to share the gospel in many hostile places. A fine idea indeed!
Praise the LORD just for his presence in our lives! May we always want to be with him, in every little thing.
Grace and Peace
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Agree To Disagree
I finished up a church history paper this weekend. The last person I wrote about was John Wesley. There's a lot of good stuff from Wesley's life that encourages and inspires me, but the one I want to focus on at the moment is what prompted him to first put to print the phrase "agree to disagree."
During his life he traveled around with George Whitefield, but the two split over doctrinal differences that they could not reconcile. The primary differences they had came from the fact that Wesley was an Arminian and Whitefield was a Calvinist. The two had faith in Christ but seemed to let their disagreements divide them, as so many in the body of Christ do today.
When Whitefield died, Wesley said "There are many doctrinal differences of a less essential nature -- in these we may think and let think; we may 'agree to disagree'. But, meantime, let us hold fast the essentials..."
I respect that. I love that. I need to listen to that.
The only caution here is that we must be careful not to twist the gospel with false teaching. There are certain key things about the person and work of Jesus Christ that one cannot deny to hold true to the gospel. However, there are many ancillary things that really do not matter in the end, in which case we must agree to disagree, lest we further divide the church.
Its funny that as I was thinking this, some folks from some named denomination came to the door. After seeing I was a believer, they jumped into questions totally focused on passover. Do you know what it is? Do you know it was abolished in 325 A.D.? What?! What does your line of questioning have to do with my relationship with God and what Jesus did on the cross? Not wanting to get into an argument, I bid them farewell, saying that the folks who typically go door to door want to get into a discussion about some particular doctrine, that I think they're doing that, and to keep preaching Christ and focus on the essentials.
Later I looked up the denomination on the Internet, and sure enough, there are various secondary doctrines they try to prove with scripture and elevate so highly such that they can claim to be the "one true church" because they believe and practice ancillary things that others do not.
No. Not okay.
There is a point where Christians can legitimately agree to disagree and a point where the gospel is changed. Praise anyone who preaches the gospel and promotes the name and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ! Shame on anyone who preaches a false gospel and elevates secondary doctrines above the name of Christ!
Grace and Peace
During his life he traveled around with George Whitefield, but the two split over doctrinal differences that they could not reconcile. The primary differences they had came from the fact that Wesley was an Arminian and Whitefield was a Calvinist. The two had faith in Christ but seemed to let their disagreements divide them, as so many in the body of Christ do today.
When Whitefield died, Wesley said "There are many doctrinal differences of a less essential nature -- in these we may think and let think; we may 'agree to disagree'. But, meantime, let us hold fast the essentials..."
I respect that. I love that. I need to listen to that.
The only caution here is that we must be careful not to twist the gospel with false teaching. There are certain key things about the person and work of Jesus Christ that one cannot deny to hold true to the gospel. However, there are many ancillary things that really do not matter in the end, in which case we must agree to disagree, lest we further divide the church.
Its funny that as I was thinking this, some folks from some named denomination came to the door. After seeing I was a believer, they jumped into questions totally focused on passover. Do you know what it is? Do you know it was abolished in 325 A.D.? What?! What does your line of questioning have to do with my relationship with God and what Jesus did on the cross? Not wanting to get into an argument, I bid them farewell, saying that the folks who typically go door to door want to get into a discussion about some particular doctrine, that I think they're doing that, and to keep preaching Christ and focus on the essentials.
Later I looked up the denomination on the Internet, and sure enough, there are various secondary doctrines they try to prove with scripture and elevate so highly such that they can claim to be the "one true church" because they believe and practice ancillary things that others do not.
No. Not okay.
There is a point where Christians can legitimately agree to disagree and a point where the gospel is changed. Praise anyone who preaches the gospel and promotes the name and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ! Shame on anyone who preaches a false gospel and elevates secondary doctrines above the name of Christ!
Grace and Peace
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Being In Love
A co-worker and sister in Christ sent this out and I was blessed by it.
Think back to when you met that man/woman that you just knew would be the one. Remember when you realized/admitted to yourself that you loved him/her. Now remember how much you wanted to act like you were in a movie
and yell to everyone in the football stadium 'I love you!' You told family and friends how perfect he/she was; he/she was just what you were looking for.
Well, I told the LORD that I love Him today.
And He said to me,
* 'How much do you love me?
* You haven't told anyone how good I've been to you.
* You haven' t shared how perfect my love is.
* You haven't spread the good news that I am always there to listen to your problems.
* You haven't told your family how I helped you pay your bills when you didn't have a high paying job, or how I got you a better one.
* You haven't shared with anyone how I took away that addiction that would have cost you not only your job, but also that man/woman
* that was just what you were looking for. On that note, how much do you really love me?'
So I said I would share with my friends and family (for starters) just how wonderful, perfect, understanding, patient, loving, unselfish, considerate and forgiving GOD really is.
He has blessed me with a family that loves me and genuine friends that I can confide in. But even more than that, He has saved me from destruction I couldn't even see coming. He gave to me the peace of knowing Him and He has never broken a promise. Truly, He is the best thing that has ever happened to me.
And I stand in my stadium today to tell all of you, 'I DO LOVE YOU LORD JESUS CHRIST WITH ALL OF MY HEART AND THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME SO UNCONDITIONALLY!'
Grace and Peace
Think back to when you met that man/woman that you just knew would be the one. Remember when you realized/admitted to yourself that you loved him/her. Now remember how much you wanted to act like you were in a movie
and yell to everyone in the football stadium 'I love you!' You told family and friends how perfect he/she was; he/she was just what you were looking for.
Well, I told the LORD that I love Him today.
And He said to me,
* 'How much do you love me?
* You haven't told anyone how good I've been to you.
* You haven' t shared how perfect my love is.
* You haven't spread the good news that I am always there to listen to your problems.
* You haven't told your family how I helped you pay your bills when you didn't have a high paying job, or how I got you a better one.
* You haven't shared with anyone how I took away that addiction that would have cost you not only your job, but also that man/woman
* that was just what you were looking for. On that note, how much do you really love me?'
So I said I would share with my friends and family (for starters) just how wonderful, perfect, understanding, patient, loving, unselfish, considerate and forgiving GOD really is.
He has blessed me with a family that loves me and genuine friends that I can confide in. But even more than that, He has saved me from destruction I couldn't even see coming. He gave to me the peace of knowing Him and He has never broken a promise. Truly, He is the best thing that has ever happened to me.
And I stand in my stadium today to tell all of you, 'I DO LOVE YOU LORD JESUS CHRIST WITH ALL OF MY HEART AND THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME SO UNCONDITIONALLY!'
Grace and Peace
Monday, March 1, 2010
Forgive Me When I Whine
My mom sent me this in the mail.
Today, upon a bus, I saw a girl with golden hair.
I envied her, she seemed so gay, and wished I was as fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobbled down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch.
And as she passed, a smile.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two legs, the world is mine
I stopped to buy some candy. The lad who sold it had such charm.
I talked with him, he seemed so glad.
If I were late, it'd do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me, "I thank you, you've been so kind.
It's nice to talk with folks like you. You see," he said, "I'm blind."
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two eyes, the world is mine.
Later while walking down the street,
I saw a child with eyes of blue.
He stood and watched the others play.
He did not know what to do.
I stopped a moment and then I said,
"Why don't you join the others, dear?"
He looked ahead without a word. And then I knew,
he couldn't hear.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two ears, the world is mine.
With feet to take me where I'd go.
With eyes to see the sunset's glow.
With ears to hear what I'd know.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I've been blessed indeed, the world is mine.
Today, upon a bus, I saw a girl with golden hair.
I envied her, she seemed so gay, and wished I was as fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobbled down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch.
And as she passed, a smile.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two legs, the world is mine
I stopped to buy some candy. The lad who sold it had such charm.
I talked with him, he seemed so glad.
If I were late, it'd do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me, "I thank you, you've been so kind.
It's nice to talk with folks like you. You see," he said, "I'm blind."
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two eyes, the world is mine.
Later while walking down the street,
I saw a child with eyes of blue.
He stood and watched the others play.
He did not know what to do.
I stopped a moment and then I said,
"Why don't you join the others, dear?"
He looked ahead without a word. And then I knew,
he couldn't hear.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two ears, the world is mine.
With feet to take me where I'd go.
With eyes to see the sunset's glow.
With ears to hear what I'd know.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I've been blessed indeed, the world is mine.
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