Sunday, Psalm 8:1; The day was cold and overcast with sleet falling. The plane I was on was delayed twice for deicing. The ceiling was very low and on take off we were immediately engulfed in blackness. As we ascended through the dark clouds the plane shook and rocked. After what seemed like hours (of course it was just minutes) of pitching in the darkness we suddenly broke out into the clearest blue sky, the turbulence was gone and the ride was as smooth as silk. Looking out from my window seat I could see that we were flying just above the clouds. Looking up, it seemed I could see clear blue sky forever. I was filled with an overwhelming sense of the grandeur of God’s universe and a feeling of worshipful awe. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth! Thou whose glory above the heavens is chanted.
Monday, Mark 4:19a; Mike was truly dedicated to his church. Many people considered him the ideal Christian. He wasn’t afraid to share his faith or volunteer for all kinds of projects. All of that began to change when he was laid off from his job. At first he was positive and upbeat; but as the days of unemployment turned into weeks and the weeks into months he stopped volunteering, his attendance became sporadic and he stopped sharing his faith with others. When I met Mike he was spiritually empty—even though he still believed in God, he had no sense of the sacred. Mike’s problem was that he had an unrealistic view of the rewards of being a Christian. He had always had good things happen to him, and he gave God the glory (as he should have), but when he hit problems in his life instead of developing a realistic, practical faith he felt that his problems stemmed from not having enough faith. He had literally allowed the problems he was facing strangle all the joy and confidence out of his relationship with God. Gradually, Mike developed a healthy, mature faith that allowed him to weather life’s storms. When difficulties arise we must allow them to help us deepen our faith lest negative thinking choke not only the word but our witness. But the cares of the world…enter in and choke the word and it proves unfruitful.
Tuesday, Mark 4:19b; We live in the greatest nation ever conceived in the history of the world. Much of this greatness is due to the economic machine created by capitalism. One of the benefits of such a society is that people have the freedom to rise by their bootstraps and become financially successful. Almighty God has seen fit to give us this freedom and when it is used properly and kept in proper perspective it is a great blessing. Problems develop when people become so focused on making the most of the opportunity for a better life that they allow it to obscure their spiritual balance. This is a danger that is not reserved just for those “rich folks”. We’ve all known hard working church people who allowed their desire for a new boat, a new car or better things to compromise their giving and faithfulness to God’s house. We need to ever be mindful to keep the right balance between our faith and how we handle the great opportunities to better ourselves we have been blessed with. The delight in riches, and the desire of other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
Wednesday, Mark 4:24a; When I was growing up and my mother wanted to make a point she would say, “you can write that down in your little black book so you don’t forget it!” What she meant was that I had better heed and learn from what she was saying. As I got older I learned that I also had to be careful what I decided to “write down in my little black book” because some messages conflicted with the values and standards that I knew were right. As Christians, we need to “take heed” of what we hear—first, we need to pay attention to that which is good and “write it in our little black book (our minds)”; second, we need to take heed to what we are hearing to be certain it not only sounds spiritually reasonable but that it is spiritually sound. Take heed what you hear…
Thursday, Luke 15:17a; Sandra had been sharing her testimony with a group of friends. In it she talked about the many mistakes she had made during her life, then she added “I never really knew who I was until I came face to face with how much God loved me.” One of the problems most people have is that they become so focused on “finding themselves” that they never look in the right place. The young man in the familiar story of the lost son had been such a person. Like the writer of the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, he had searched in all the wrong places. Finally having exhausted his resources (emotionally and financially) he “came to himself”. That is a wonderful phrase, it reminds us that in our search for ourselves we often wander farther away from who God created us to be. When this young man mentally turned around and came back to who he was born to be he realized that he had a father who cared for him. Once we realize who we really are we are ready to begin the journey to the heart’s true home. But when he came to himself
Friday, Luke 15:22; One of the tremendous things that coming into right relationship with God can do for us is it helps us understand who we really are. When we stop our search for ourselves long enough to “come to ourselves” we are in a position to begin to realize that we are spiritual beings, created by Almighty God. When we accept this fact, we are humbled by our failures and start on a journey home. Some people never seem to arrive in their Heavenly Father’s arms because they go through life defeated and downtrodden; it is almost as if after going through the gates of the family property they seem to have decided to camp out on the lawn rather than going all the way to house. When we come all the way home to our Heavenly Father, we discover we have worth beyond our comprehension because he bestows upon us the resources we need to live vibrant, victorious lives. But the father said, ”bring quickly the best robe and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand…”
Saturday, Isaiah 33:17; Tomorrow is Palm or Passion Sunday (depending on your religious tradition). This marks the week that leads up to Good Friday and Easter. As we take our annual pilgrimage to the cross and empty tomb we need to remember that we find what we are looking for in situations and events. We should begin today to prepare our hearts and minds for this sacred journey. As you reflect on the life and death of Jesus this coming week, why not begin today to let the words of Isaiah guide what you look for, Your eyes will see the king in his beauty
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
March 22 thru 28 2009
Sunday, Joshua 5:9; He had been raised a Roman Catholic and for many years he had been very active. His first marriage ended in divorce and after several years he remarried. Because of his remarriage the priest told him that he could no longer participate in the Eucharist (communion). To a devout catholic this was a sentence to eternal damnation, feeling hopelessly lost he dropped out of church. I became acquainted with him when I became pastor of the church his wife attended. Experience told me not to push him too hard (like previous ministers had done) and after a few months he began attending worship services. Our private talks became more centered on his faith, he began to read the Bible and pray, he joined a Sunday School class and turned his life around. But each month when the call to communion was issued he would sit, convinced that the “disgrace” of his past made him unworthy. Then one Sunday as I uttered the ancient formula “this is my blood…” I looked in his direction and saw him holding the cup, his eye caught mine and he held it up in a mini-toast and drank. It was at this point that I knew that the message of grace had finally triumphed over the “disgrace” of his past. Regardless of our past, once the message of God’s grace takes hold of our minds it will roll away all disgrace! Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt
Monday, Proverbs 16:3; What do you have to do this week? Write a report? Finish or begin a project? Make sales calls? Manage a business? Handle customers complaints? Respond to people’s problems? Go on an outing with the family? Regardless of what you do, successful outcomes are the result of commitment. You must commit the time, effort and energy necessary to accomplish what you set out to do. As a child of God you should add another form of commitment—that of committing the day and week to Him. When we do this, amazing things can happen. First, we are more cognizant of the fact that we should listen for God’s leadership as we go about our business; second, we more fully understand that what we are doing has been “committed” to bringing honor to God’s name; and finally, we will be wonderfully amazed at the insights and ideas that come to our minds as we seek God’s guidance daily. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established
Tuesday, Acts 2:28; Who is the one person you feel has given you the mentoring and advice you need to get where you are today? Everyone has such a person in their lives. When you talked to that person about the perplexities of your job or life you were able to draw upon the wisdom of their experience and felt an inner gladness or appreciation for that special relationship. Perhaps it was a former pastor, a supervisor who took a special interest in your career or a retired neighbor or relative. Today’s text reminds us that we can have such a mentoring relationship with our Heavenly Father—if we want it. We can draw upon God’s wisdom and learn “the ways of life” and be filled with gladness because of that relationship. But unlike earthly mentors we don’t have to call up a memory or set an appointment to visit with God. We can call on him anytime, anyplace for any reason. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence
Wednesday, Mark 2:17; The voice at the other end of the line was that of a man who had once attended our church. He wanted me to come over immediately because he and his new wife were having problems. Upon arriving at their home, I on my best counselor’s face and inquired as to the problem. He proceeded to read every passage Paul had ever written about wives honoring, obeying and submitting to their husbands (he punctuated each passage with a litany of how she was not living up to this lofty ideal, which led to her providing an inventory of his spiritual shortcomings). He had just read from a passage in Ephesians that said the husband was the head of the wife and started to flip to another proof text. I stopped him and told him to read the next few verses. He told me that they didn’t apply. I took his Bible and read them to him—you know those pesky verses about husbands loving their wives as Christ loved the church, and that he should nourish and tenderly care for her. He refused to make the connection and I’m sad to say the marriage ended about six months later. But the lesson from my friend’s selective reading of scripture should be clear. He refused to acknowledge his own shortcomings and went out of his way to avoid being confronted by the fact. Until we realize that we need the great physician in all areas of our lives, not just for health insurance when we are sick or fire insurance for the hereafter, we can never be healed of the things that deprive us of the real joy of living. Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.
Thursday, Psalm 32:1,2; Have you ever known anyone that was genuinely happy all the time? I met such a man many years ago. When I first met him I thought it was an act, but over time I discovered that his happiness came from a deep-seated well of joy. Even when the chips were down he evidenced an optimism not born of the realities of the moment. One day I asked him the source of his inner radiance. “It’s simply” he said. “I keep short sin accounts. If I do somebody wrong, I immediately try to make it right. And every night before I go to sleep I tell God all the wrongheaded things I’ve done that day, ask his forgiveness and help in not doing them again.” Then he added, “When I’m right with others and with God I know things will have to eventually work out right for me.” Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven…to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
Friday, Psalm 33:1; “March Madness” has been sweeping across the United States! People abuzz with talk about the sweet sixteen and final four of college basketball. It seems that everywhere I go people are bemoaning losses and celebrating victories. Many of them retell the exciting moments of recent games and just bubble over with praise for the players and coaches. I don’t think they had March Madness back in the days of the Psalmist, but he no doubt realized how often people looked for their reasons to rejoice in the events of the day and their tendency to praise the accomplishments of their heroes. For that reason he reminds us all that as members of God’s team, we always have a reason to rejoice! And that we can always find plenty of positive things to say, if we will but say them. Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous. Praise befits the upright!
Saturday, Second Corinthians 5:16; The Reverend Doctor G. Campbell Morgan, beloved early twentieth century preacher and Bible teacher once observed that all people are sinners by experience and savable by grace. A couple of centuries earlier, a European theologian and philosopher stated that people are spiritual beings having a human experience. Once we realize that everyone we meet, from the president of a company to a homeless person on the street, are really spiritual beings in a human body we come to see them as being sinners by experience but savable by grace. They are all people whom God esteemed enough to send his Son, Jesus to die for in order to reconcile them to himself. This realization will help root out our predisposition to judge others too harshly based on life’s externals. This makes it easier to pray for them, learn to love them and do all we can to help them find the true spiritual life that God offers us all through our risen Lord. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view…
Monday, Proverbs 16:3; What do you have to do this week? Write a report? Finish or begin a project? Make sales calls? Manage a business? Handle customers complaints? Respond to people’s problems? Go on an outing with the family? Regardless of what you do, successful outcomes are the result of commitment. You must commit the time, effort and energy necessary to accomplish what you set out to do. As a child of God you should add another form of commitment—that of committing the day and week to Him. When we do this, amazing things can happen. First, we are more cognizant of the fact that we should listen for God’s leadership as we go about our business; second, we more fully understand that what we are doing has been “committed” to bringing honor to God’s name; and finally, we will be wonderfully amazed at the insights and ideas that come to our minds as we seek God’s guidance daily. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established
Tuesday, Acts 2:28; Who is the one person you feel has given you the mentoring and advice you need to get where you are today? Everyone has such a person in their lives. When you talked to that person about the perplexities of your job or life you were able to draw upon the wisdom of their experience and felt an inner gladness or appreciation for that special relationship. Perhaps it was a former pastor, a supervisor who took a special interest in your career or a retired neighbor or relative. Today’s text reminds us that we can have such a mentoring relationship with our Heavenly Father—if we want it. We can draw upon God’s wisdom and learn “the ways of life” and be filled with gladness because of that relationship. But unlike earthly mentors we don’t have to call up a memory or set an appointment to visit with God. We can call on him anytime, anyplace for any reason. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence
Wednesday, Mark 2:17; The voice at the other end of the line was that of a man who had once attended our church. He wanted me to come over immediately because he and his new wife were having problems. Upon arriving at their home, I on my best counselor’s face and inquired as to the problem. He proceeded to read every passage Paul had ever written about wives honoring, obeying and submitting to their husbands (he punctuated each passage with a litany of how she was not living up to this lofty ideal, which led to her providing an inventory of his spiritual shortcomings). He had just read from a passage in Ephesians that said the husband was the head of the wife and started to flip to another proof text. I stopped him and told him to read the next few verses. He told me that they didn’t apply. I took his Bible and read them to him—you know those pesky verses about husbands loving their wives as Christ loved the church, and that he should nourish and tenderly care for her. He refused to make the connection and I’m sad to say the marriage ended about six months later. But the lesson from my friend’s selective reading of scripture should be clear. He refused to acknowledge his own shortcomings and went out of his way to avoid being confronted by the fact. Until we realize that we need the great physician in all areas of our lives, not just for health insurance when we are sick or fire insurance for the hereafter, we can never be healed of the things that deprive us of the real joy of living. Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.
Thursday, Psalm 32:1,2; Have you ever known anyone that was genuinely happy all the time? I met such a man many years ago. When I first met him I thought it was an act, but over time I discovered that his happiness came from a deep-seated well of joy. Even when the chips were down he evidenced an optimism not born of the realities of the moment. One day I asked him the source of his inner radiance. “It’s simply” he said. “I keep short sin accounts. If I do somebody wrong, I immediately try to make it right. And every night before I go to sleep I tell God all the wrongheaded things I’ve done that day, ask his forgiveness and help in not doing them again.” Then he added, “When I’m right with others and with God I know things will have to eventually work out right for me.” Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven…to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
Friday, Psalm 33:1; “March Madness” has been sweeping across the United States! People abuzz with talk about the sweet sixteen and final four of college basketball. It seems that everywhere I go people are bemoaning losses and celebrating victories. Many of them retell the exciting moments of recent games and just bubble over with praise for the players and coaches. I don’t think they had March Madness back in the days of the Psalmist, but he no doubt realized how often people looked for their reasons to rejoice in the events of the day and their tendency to praise the accomplishments of their heroes. For that reason he reminds us all that as members of God’s team, we always have a reason to rejoice! And that we can always find plenty of positive things to say, if we will but say them. Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous. Praise befits the upright!
Saturday, Second Corinthians 5:16; The Reverend Doctor G. Campbell Morgan, beloved early twentieth century preacher and Bible teacher once observed that all people are sinners by experience and savable by grace. A couple of centuries earlier, a European theologian and philosopher stated that people are spiritual beings having a human experience. Once we realize that everyone we meet, from the president of a company to a homeless person on the street, are really spiritual beings in a human body we come to see them as being sinners by experience but savable by grace. They are all people whom God esteemed enough to send his Son, Jesus to die for in order to reconcile them to himself. This realization will help root out our predisposition to judge others too harshly based on life’s externals. This makes it easier to pray for them, learn to love them and do all we can to help them find the true spiritual life that God offers us all through our risen Lord. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view…
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
March 15 thru March 21, 2009
Sunday, Psalm 102:12a; Two very powerful thoughts come to mind when we read this verse. First, we are reminded that regardless of how bleak the events around the world or how disturbing the cultural chaos in our own country becomes, God is still on the throne. This of course can cause us to ask how God can allow some of the horrendous things that occur to happen, but we are reminded that people have a free will and often do evil and cruel things to achieve their selfish ends. This verse also reminds us that the one who has always found a way to bring good out of evil is still at work and that he has not lost control. But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever
Monday, Psalm 102:12b; Recently, I was visiting with a person in their mid-twenties and mentioned a famous actor from the 1940’s. This person gave me a blank stare and said, “Who’s that?” It is sometimes disturbing that people have forgotten famous people or folks who have been instrumental in creating the things we enjoy today. Whether it is the name of the founder of the church we attend or even our great, great grandparents, people are quickly forgotten and their contributions are taken for granted. But not so with God our creator. His name has endured (been remembered) and will not be forgotten. This should create in us a sense of awe and wonder, but also a feeling of gratitude that such an awesome God cares for you and me. Your name endures to all generations.
Tuesday, Psalm 36:1a: Several years ago a man came to me who was seeking inner peace. He claimed to be a Christian and in reality he wasn’t a bad man, but the more he talked the clearer it became that much of his problem stemmed from the fact that he was full of bitterness toward people whom he felt had failed him. When I gently pointed out the contradiction between his attitude toward these people and the teachings of his professed faith, he launched into a vigorous justification for holding his deep-seated grudges. In counseling, we used to call this “righteous rationalization”, meaning that we can always find “righteous” sounding excuses to create an exception to Christian principles. If you are having trouble finding real inner peace, maybe you should consider whose voice speaks to you? Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in their hearts…
Wednesday, Genesis 6:9; The other day someone asked me a question as I was going out the door. Since I was on the way to a meeting, I said, “Walk with me.” As we walked, we discussed his question and by the time I reached my destination he had received the information he needed to continue his project. I might add that he later told me that the ideas I gave him provided the “slant” he needed to make things come out right. In our busy lives, we need to invite God to walk along with us, when we do we’ll find the “slant” we need to make better decisions, and the confidence to deal with problems more effectively. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God!
Thursday, First Peter 5:7; I hadn’t seen her in years. We had gone to junior high school and high school together and since those days she had become successful in the world of finance. We became reacquainted at our 35th high school reunion and she said she wanted to receive my weekly Monday Morning email column (confidentliving.com). Several months passed, and she contacted me because another professional had referred her to me, hoping I could provide the coaching she needed for her next career move. After our meeting ended, she said, “You know, I was raised Baptist and taught that you should pray for others, but not your own concerns. But the thing I’ve learned from reading Monday Morning is that if you have a problem, you got to send it out…call it prayer or whatever. When you send it out, God answers!” That’s exactly what our text for today is saying, whatever is bothering you, burdening you or holding you back, send it out! Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.
Friday, First Peter 5:12; In one of his books, businessman Harvey Mackay ask the question, “Who could you call at 3:AM if you had a real problem?” Of course, he was talking about the importance of building strong and lasting relationships through networking. But the underlying message was that we also need to be people on whom others can rely when their chips were down. I once asked an elderly gentleman how he wanted to be remembered. He had many accomplishments to his credit, but he said simply, “I want to be remembered as being steady in my convictions and loyal to my friends and faith.” In our dog eat dog world we don’t hear much about loyalty or being the type of person someone could count on to help them at 3 o’clock in the morning, but maybe we should strive to become that type of person. What do people consider us to be? Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother…
Saturday, Philemon 21; A friend asked me to do him a favor, and frankly, I didn’t want to do it, nor did I think that I had the time to do it, but I agreed. The favor involved helping him develop a marketing idea. I told him I only had a few minutes, and grudgingly invited him to sit down to discuss the concept. Within twenty minutes we had dealt with the main problem he was having, but I found myself excited about the project and caught up in helping him with the details. Two hours later, we finished up and I felt really good about a job well done. Then it dawned on me, I had fulfilled the request, but then willingly did more than he had requested. This “going the extra mile” brought me a joy that I would have missed had I simply addressed the initial request. In serving God or other people let’s move beyond fulfilling the “obligation” and discover the real joy we can experience by doing more than we were required to do. Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
Monday, Psalm 102:12b; Recently, I was visiting with a person in their mid-twenties and mentioned a famous actor from the 1940’s. This person gave me a blank stare and said, “Who’s that?” It is sometimes disturbing that people have forgotten famous people or folks who have been instrumental in creating the things we enjoy today. Whether it is the name of the founder of the church we attend or even our great, great grandparents, people are quickly forgotten and their contributions are taken for granted. But not so with God our creator. His name has endured (been remembered) and will not be forgotten. This should create in us a sense of awe and wonder, but also a feeling of gratitude that such an awesome God cares for you and me. Your name endures to all generations.
Tuesday, Psalm 36:1a: Several years ago a man came to me who was seeking inner peace. He claimed to be a Christian and in reality he wasn’t a bad man, but the more he talked the clearer it became that much of his problem stemmed from the fact that he was full of bitterness toward people whom he felt had failed him. When I gently pointed out the contradiction between his attitude toward these people and the teachings of his professed faith, he launched into a vigorous justification for holding his deep-seated grudges. In counseling, we used to call this “righteous rationalization”, meaning that we can always find “righteous” sounding excuses to create an exception to Christian principles. If you are having trouble finding real inner peace, maybe you should consider whose voice speaks to you? Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in their hearts…
Wednesday, Genesis 6:9; The other day someone asked me a question as I was going out the door. Since I was on the way to a meeting, I said, “Walk with me.” As we walked, we discussed his question and by the time I reached my destination he had received the information he needed to continue his project. I might add that he later told me that the ideas I gave him provided the “slant” he needed to make things come out right. In our busy lives, we need to invite God to walk along with us, when we do we’ll find the “slant” we need to make better decisions, and the confidence to deal with problems more effectively. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God!
Thursday, First Peter 5:7; I hadn’t seen her in years. We had gone to junior high school and high school together and since those days she had become successful in the world of finance. We became reacquainted at our 35th high school reunion and she said she wanted to receive my weekly Monday Morning email column (confidentliving.com). Several months passed, and she contacted me because another professional had referred her to me, hoping I could provide the coaching she needed for her next career move. After our meeting ended, she said, “You know, I was raised Baptist and taught that you should pray for others, but not your own concerns. But the thing I’ve learned from reading Monday Morning is that if you have a problem, you got to send it out…call it prayer or whatever. When you send it out, God answers!” That’s exactly what our text for today is saying, whatever is bothering you, burdening you or holding you back, send it out! Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.
Friday, First Peter 5:12; In one of his books, businessman Harvey Mackay ask the question, “Who could you call at 3:AM if you had a real problem?” Of course, he was talking about the importance of building strong and lasting relationships through networking. But the underlying message was that we also need to be people on whom others can rely when their chips were down. I once asked an elderly gentleman how he wanted to be remembered. He had many accomplishments to his credit, but he said simply, “I want to be remembered as being steady in my convictions and loyal to my friends and faith.” In our dog eat dog world we don’t hear much about loyalty or being the type of person someone could count on to help them at 3 o’clock in the morning, but maybe we should strive to become that type of person. What do people consider us to be? Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother…
Saturday, Philemon 21; A friend asked me to do him a favor, and frankly, I didn’t want to do it, nor did I think that I had the time to do it, but I agreed. The favor involved helping him develop a marketing idea. I told him I only had a few minutes, and grudgingly invited him to sit down to discuss the concept. Within twenty minutes we had dealt with the main problem he was having, but I found myself excited about the project and caught up in helping him with the details. Two hours later, we finished up and I felt really good about a job well done. Then it dawned on me, I had fulfilled the request, but then willingly did more than he had requested. This “going the extra mile” brought me a joy that I would have missed had I simply addressed the initial request. In serving God or other people let’s move beyond fulfilling the “obligation” and discover the real joy we can experience by doing more than we were required to do. Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
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