May 22, 2008

Taking God Seriously


"Every time anyone in the Bible of any significance met God, great fear, awe, and trembling came upon them. We talk about standing in the presence of a Holy God, yet our response to Him is unlike anyone who stood before Him in the Scriptures. We must ask ourselves if we are confronting God in such a way that a holy sense of trembling comes over us. How can Christians proclaim a message of urgency while living a lifestyle of complacency? People will believe the message when it is delivered by a messenger whose life demonstrates that he knows God and takes God seriously.” - Henry Blackaby from the book, The Man God Uses

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7 ESV)

Do you not fear me? declares the Lord. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it. But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away.  They do not say in their hearts, "Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest."  Your iniquities have turned these away, and your sins have kept good from you. (Jeremiah 5:22-25 ESV)

“The presence of God in His people put fear in the nations surrounding them. The nations were not afraid of the Israelites. They were afraid of the God of the Israelites. How many people tremble before the God that churches serve in their communities? The fear of God will not come upon the people outside the church before it comes upon the people inside the church." - Henry Blackaby from the book, The Man God Uses

Posted by Jim at 07:41:23 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

May 12, 2008

Appearance or God's Power


Addressing a national seminar, George Gallup said, "We find there is very little difference in ethical behavior between churchgoers and those who are not active religiously.”  The levels of lying, cheating, and stealing were found to be remarkably similar in both groups.  Gallup found that eight out of ten Americans consider themselves to be Christians, yet only half of them could identify the person who gave the Sermon on the Mount and fewer still could recall five of the Ten Commandments.  Of the respondents in the poll, only two in ten said they would be willing to suffer for their faith.

I doubt that anyone serious about their faith would find the above circumstances acceptable.  Why is such weak, jaded “Christianity” the norm?  Could it be that many who name the Name have never been changed by His grace and power?

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.  For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1-7 ESV)

Posted by Jim at 09:39:12 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

May 07, 2008

Mothers Day Is Coming

Husbands and children everywhere, do not forget that May 11, 2008 is Mothers Day.  While I hope you honor and encourage your "mom" everyday of the year, I do not want you to miss the opportunity that is now just four days away.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her. (Ephesians 5:25 NASB)

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth. (Ephesians 6:1-3 NASB)

For a woman, being a mother changes everything.  Being a mother also changes with each baby acording to one wag.  Here are a few of their "steps in the evolution of mothers" as they have a second and then third child:

The way expectant moms dress changes.  With the first baby, a woman buys maternity clothes as soon as the doctor confirms the pregnancy and begins wearing them with the tiniest of bulges.  With the second baby, a mom wears her regular clothes for as long as possible before switching to maternity clothes. With the third child, your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.

The way expectant moms practice their Lamaze class exercises changes.  Preparing for the birth of child one, a mom will practice her breathing exercises religiously.  With baby number two, a mom doesn't bother practicing because she remembers that last time breathing didn’t do a thing.  With baby three, you ask for an epidural in the eighth month of pregnancy.

More "steps in the evolution of mothers" to come!
Posted by Jim at 14:07:08 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

May 06, 2008

Campaign 2008


Today is Primary Day in North Carolina.  Many people are making their way to the Polls to cast their vote.  Others are choosing to stay at home.  Some do so because they feel betrayed by their political party.  Some stay home because they have lost faith in the political process.  Others stay home because they simply don't care.

I pray and I vote.  I do so primarily because of 1 Timothy 2:1-4, which reads:

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-4 NASB)

I also pray and vote because I understand the importance of responsible citizenship.  While I do not place my hope in any political party (my trust is in Lord Jesus), I am a citizen of the United States of America and my vote counts.

Consider the difference that one vote makes.  ONE VOTE made Oliver Cromwell Lord Protector of the Commonwealth and gave him control of England in 1645. ONE VOTE condemned Charles I and caused him to be executed in 1649. ONE VOTE kept Aaron Burr – later charged with treason – from becoming President of the United States in 1800. ONE VOTE elected Marcus Morton governor of Massachusetts in 1839. ONE VOTE made Texas part of the United States in1845. ONE VOTE saved President Andrew Johnson from impeachment in 1868. ONE VOTE changed France's governmental polity from a monarchy to a republic in 1875. ONE VOTE admitted California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho into the United States in 1850 (California and Oregon), 1889, and 1890. ONE VOTE elected Rutherford B. Hayes to the Presidency in 1876 and the man in the Electoral College who cast that vote was an Indiana Representative also elected by ONE VOTE. ONE VOTE made Adolf Hitler head of the Nazi Party in Germany in 1923. ONE VOTE maintained the Selective Service System (the draft) only 12 weeks before Pearl Harbor in 1941. ONE VOTE per precinct would have elected Richard Nixon, rather than John Kennedy in 1960.  One vote counts!  Your vote counts!  Pray and Vote!
Posted by Jim at 11:50:24 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

May 04, 2008

Making the Moments Count

Christin Ditchfield, a writer for Focus on the Family Magazine, records that on the morning of September 11, Jeannie Braca switched on the television to check the weather report, only to hear that a plane had just hit the World Trade Center. Jeannie’s husband, Al, worked as a corporate bond trader for Cantor Fitzgerald. His office was on the 105th floor of Tower One. Al had survived the World Trade Center bombing in 1993 and had even helped a woman with asthma escape from the building. Jeannie knew that Al would do the same thing this time, “I knew he would stop to help and minister to people,” she said, “but I never thought for a minute that he wouldn’t be coming home!”

A week later, like so many others who were in that building, Al’s body was found in the rubble. Al’s wife, Jeannie, and his son Christopher were devastated! Then the reports began to trickle in from friends and acquaintances. Some people on the 105th floor had made a last call or sent a final e-mail to loved ones saying that a man was leading people in prayer. A few referred to Al by name. Al’s family learned that Al had indeed been ministering to people during the attack! When Al realized that they were all trapped in the building and would not be able to escape, Al shared the gospel with a group of 50 co-workers and led them in prayer.

This news came as no surprise to Al’s wife, Jeannie. For years, she and Al had been praying for the salvation of these men and women. According to Jeannie, Al hated his job and couldn’t stand the environment. It was a world so out of touch with his Christian values, but he wouldn’t quit. Al was convinced that God wanted him to stay there, to be a light in the darkness, and although Al would not have put it this way, to be a hero! Al was not ashamed of Christ and Christ’s words…and he paid the price of taking up his cross daily. Al shared his faith with his co-workers….many of whom sarcastically nicknamed him “The Rev.” And on that fateful day…on September 11, in the midst of the chaos, Al’s co-workers looked to him—-and Al delivered!

At the same time, Al too tried to get a phone call through to his family. He asked an MCI operator to contact his family. “Tell them that I love them,” he said. It took the operator more than a month to reach the Bracas, but the message brought them much-needed comfort. “The last thing my dad did involved the two things most important to him—God and his family,” his son Christopher told a writer for Focus on The Family. “He loved to lead people to Christ. That takes away a lot of the hurt and the pain.”
Posted by Jim at 22:21:48 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

April 30, 2008

Really Cool

Casting Crowns is a wonderful group of musicians who minister as they sing and play.  I love their musical offerings and this song, "Who Am I?" is one of my favorites.  Below is a clip of their song that was dramatized by a college group with a marvelous effect.  I hope you are blessed by the music and dramatic presentation.  And remember, God really does love you...Jesus is the proof!

alt : http://www.youtube.com/v/CT7x3VnrqbA&hl=en
Posted by Jim at 21:45:23 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

April 29, 2008

The God of Creation

Thunderstorms!  Most of us woke this morning to news of last night’s devastating storm in Virginia which injured over 200 people and destroyed a great deal of property.  Thunderstorms are among the most powerful forces we know and yet they are little more than an atmosphere stabilizer. A thunderstorm forms when there is a lot of cold air sitting on top of a lot of warm air. In order to re-balance the atmosphere, a thunderstorm pumps the warm air upward and the cold air downward until the atmosphere evens out. Once that happens, the thunderstorm has achieved its stabilizing purpose and it dies out.

But along the way these storms can produce incredible winds, including a micro burst that can roar down toward the ground at 100 mph and tornadoes which can reach 300 mph.  In addition to wind, thunderstorms also produce rain and even ice. The storm's strong currents can super cool water particles to well below freezing, and if enough of the ice builds up, it falls to the ground as hail.  Though usually no larger than pebbles, some strong storms have produced so much ice that it falls in chunks as large as a grapefruit.  The force of energy within a thunderstorm is so great that it can cause a high-voltage chasm that equalizes itself through a fiery flash of lightning.  Lasting only 30 microseconds, a bolt of lightning peaks out at one trillion watts with a surface temperature of 20,000 degrees centigrade (three times hotter than the surface of the sun).

As I thought about the power of storms, I remembered Psalm 29.

Psalms 29:1-11 (ESV) 1 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness. 3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. 5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire. 8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, "Glory!" 10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever. 11 May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!

We were made for worship.  Our inner being has a deep seated need to worship something.  In our culture, there is a fast-growing movement toward the worship of nature.  Much of the “Earth First” counter-culture is based not on science, but emotion.  Note that many of the leading voices of the “Green” machine are celebrities and not scientists.  The shallowness of their lives leave them with a yearning for significance and they “find it” by championing a new and exciting “cause.”

But the “cause” is not new!  Psalm 29 throws down the gauntlet of challenge to the pagan religions of the Ancient Near East, which claimed that the forces of nature are gods and goddesses in their own right.  Psalm 29 reveals the falseness of those idolatrous claims by revealing that the God of Israel is the One who creates all those wonders.  Moreover, He is the one who is greater than them all.  Psalm 29 is a rebuke to those who worship the creation instead of the Creator.

Psalm 29, like numerous other passages of Scripture, reveals that the grandeur of creation is our first source for encountering God. Yet, it calls us to look closer and see the Lord of the storm, the King of Creation, the one, only true, and sovereign God who alone can give peace to our souls.
Posted by Jim at 10:16:57 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

April 28, 2008

God's Word

In America, Bibles are everywhere. You find Bibles in grocery stores, prisons, and hotel rooms. They’re available in all sizes, shapes, colors, translations, versions, study editions, etc.  You can purchase a Bible bound in paperback, kivar, hardback, genuine leather, bonded leather, simulated leather, or imitation leather. The Bible is the all time best seller and is available to over 98% of the world's population in over 2,454 languages (the remaining 2% speak an estimated 4,446 different languages; of these, about 1,600 are already in the translation process).  Last year 500 million Bibles were published and over 25 million were purchased in the USA.

Bibles are everywhere in America, yet millions of people miss experiencing the full blessing of Bible study.  Some people seem to expect the Word of God to hit them like a bolt of lightning each time they read or study it.  Although the "bolt" may powerfully "strike" us on occasion, the effect of God's Word is more akin to vitamins than to lightning.  People who regularly take vitamins do so because of their long-term benefits.  They do not expect to feel new strength surging through their bodies the first time they swallow a multi-vitamin. They realize that by consistently taking vitamins as part of a long term health regiment, they will experience a beneficial effect on their physical health.  In much the same way, the real value of Bible reading and study lies in the cumulative effect that long-term exposure to God’s Word has on our lives. 

While I would not discourage those who grab the Bible for momentary inspiration, I do appeal to you to become a student of God's Word for life.  I promise that you will never exhaust the Bible's ability to speak to you fresh and new.  Each day of each year you can depend on Scripture to inspire, educate, convict, encourage, guide, correct, and empower you as you follow Jesus.  The best is yet to come.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.  (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV)

Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.  (2 Timothy 3:16-17 The Message)
Posted by Jim at 15:05:30 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

April 25, 2008

The Need for Change

John Maxwell notes a fundamental truth: we never outgrow the need to change.  The principle is illustrated in this anecdote about Henry Ford and his Model T automobile.
 
"On his way to dominating the automotive market with the Model T, Henry Ford embodied innovation and progress. However, the dominance of Ford Motor Company was short-lived.  As competitors changed their operations to copy Ford's mass production concepts, consumers found the automotive market flooded with numerous models from which to choose. With cars rolling off assembly lines like never before, consumers began to demand a variety of colors. However, Ford stubbornly refused, uttering the famous line, 'The customer can have any color he wants so long as it's black.'"

Henry Ford revolutionized and dominated the automotive industry because he "focused on moving from inefficiency to efficiency."  He championed change and innovation as he built his empire.  Yet, he came to believe that he had arrived at the summit of automotive excellence and refused to change on a seemingly small detail that would have expanded his market share and increased profitability. Maxwell was right when he wrote, "Ford's genius in sparking change had catapulted him to the pinnacle of American commerce, but later, his inability to change cost him dearly."

Tell them this, God's Message: "Do people fall down and not get up? Or take the wrong road and then just keep going? So why does this people go backward, and just keep on going—backward! They stubbornly hold on to their illusions, refuse to change direction." Jeremiah 8:4-5 (The Message)
Posted by Jim at 09:00:45 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

April 24, 2008

Don't Let Opportunity Pass You Buy

James Hewet tells the story of a man who missed a great opportunity. This man's  friend took him for a ride way out in the country. They drove off the main road and drove through groves of trees to a large uninhabited expanse of land. A few horses were grazing, and a couple of old shacks remained. The friend, named Walter, stopped the car, got out, and started to describe in great detail the wonderful things he was going to build on his land. He urged his friend, Arthur, to buy the land surrounding the project and get in on the ground floor.

But Arthur thought to himself, "Who in the world is going to drive twenty-five miles to visit this crazy project? The logistics of the venture are staggering and it will take a miracle to pull it off."

Walter sensed his friends hesitancy and explained to Arthur, "I can handle the main project myself. But it will take all my money. Yet if you buy the land bordering it, where we're standing now, well in just a couple of years it will be jammed with hotels and restaurants and convention halls to accommodate the people who will come to spend their entire vacation here at my park. I want you to have the first chance at this surrounding acreage, because in the next five years it will increase in value several hundred times."

"What could I say? I knew he was wrong," Arthur tells the story today. "I knew that he had let this dream get the best of his common sense, so I mumbled something about a tight-money situation and promised that I would look into the whole thing a little later on."

"Later on will be too late," Walter cautioned Arthur as they walked back to the car. "You'd better move on it right now."

And so Art Linkletter turned down the opportunity to buy up all the land that surrounded what was to become Disneyland. His friend Walt Disney tried to talk him into it. But Art thought he was crazy.

Posted by Jim at 09:06:02 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |