In difficult times, times of loss, tragedy or suffering, we may be tempted to ask, “Why me?” Now ponder this, “Why not you?” The answer is usually the same for both questions.
“He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:45
There are certain exemptions we can claim when filing our tax forms. But there is no “exemption from difficulties box” to check simply because we are people of faith. Though we can avoid many things by being good stewards of life, living wisely and trusting God, often people with great faith are “spiritually taxed” at a higher rate.
But let us not forget the words of St. Paul in Romans 8:18 NLT, “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later.”
Just make sure you have a good Accountant.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Notre Dame Students Take a Stand!
A group of Notre Dame seniors are refusing to attend their own graduation, rather that compromise their faith. I commend them for their courage to do this.
Friday, May 8, 2009
His delight
Psalm 37:23 in the NKJV says this, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way."
The New Living Translation puts it this way, "The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives."
Prayer
O Lord, grant that my life and every detail of it, might be Your delight. Amen.
The New Living Translation puts it this way, "The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives."
Prayer
O Lord, grant that my life and every detail of it, might be Your delight. Amen.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Just hanging around?
Often while reading, a paragraph, sentence, phrase or merely a word will jump off the page and stick in my mind. Thought-pictures form around it and inspiration, conviction or simply a new angle from which to look at something is birthed. This happen quite often when I read from the book, The Valley of Vision. The Valley of Vision is a book of Puritan prayers that will humble you, grip your heart and bring you to the foot of the Cross. Those who don't like to think of themselves as anything but victorious saints and royal children of God and worthy of every possible blessing may not care for this book. Those who think more along the lines of the Apostle Paul, who thought of himself as “the chief of all sinners” (Timothy 1:15) and a “wretched man” ( Romans 7:24) will appreciate this wonderful book. Understand, however, this book does not dwell on our lowliness, but focuses on God's loftiness.
I will share a few lines from one of these prayers and point out the word that has been rolling around in my brain for about a week now. The prayer is entitled, Christlikeness:
May my words and works allure others to the highest walks of faith and love!
May loiterers be quickened to greater diligence by my example!
May worldlings be won to delight in acquaintance with thee!
May the timid and irresolute be warned of coming doom by my zeal for Jesus!
Cause me to be a mirror of thy grace, to show others the joy of thy service,
May my lips be well-tuned cymbals sounding thy praise,
Let a halo of heavenly-mindedness sparkle around me and a lamp of kindness sunbeam path.
Wow!
The word that has set up camp in my mind is, “loiterers.” A really interesting word when applied to the Christian life. I looked up “loiter” in the dictionary and found these definitions:
1.to linger aimlessly or as if aimless in or about a place
2.to move is a slow, idle manner, making purposeless stops in the course of a trip, journey, errand, etc.
3.to waste time or dawdle over work
Wow!
I am sure you would agree, there are sure a lot of "Christian loiterers!" The question we each need to ask ourselves is, “Am I one of them?”
If we have loitered, let us quicken our pace!
I will share a few lines from one of these prayers and point out the word that has been rolling around in my brain for about a week now. The prayer is entitled, Christlikeness:
May my words and works allure others to the highest walks of faith and love!
May loiterers be quickened to greater diligence by my example!
May worldlings be won to delight in acquaintance with thee!
May the timid and irresolute be warned of coming doom by my zeal for Jesus!
Cause me to be a mirror of thy grace, to show others the joy of thy service,
May my lips be well-tuned cymbals sounding thy praise,
Let a halo of heavenly-mindedness sparkle around me and a lamp of kindness sunbeam path.
Wow!
The word that has set up camp in my mind is, “loiterers.” A really interesting word when applied to the Christian life. I looked up “loiter” in the dictionary and found these definitions:
1.to linger aimlessly or as if aimless in or about a place
2.to move is a slow, idle manner, making purposeless stops in the course of a trip, journey, errand, etc.
3.to waste time or dawdle over work
Wow!
I am sure you would agree, there are sure a lot of "Christian loiterers!" The question we each need to ask ourselves is, “Am I one of them?”
If we have loitered, let us quicken our pace!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Tie me down, Lord!
I presume most of us are well familiar with Romans 12:1, which reads: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is you reasonable service.” (NKJV)
Or as the New Living Translation (NLT) puts it, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?”
We sing songs with such lyrics as “Make my life a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to You.”
The band, Casting Crowns, in their song, “Lifesong” has a verse that says: "Lord I give my life, a living sacrifice, to reach a world in need, to be your hands and feet.”
Darryl Evans' song “I Lay Me Down” has a line that says, “I lay me down, a living sacrifice to you.”
Craig Wallis, a worship leader with Vineyard Fellowship (I think), in his song, “Sacrifice” says, “I will be a living sacrifice, pure and holy in your eyes.”
Though I could probably mention many more, I think you get the idea. The words are much easier to sing than they are to actually live out. The reason being, it has often been said, is that “The problem with living sacrifices is that they seem to want to climb down from the altar.” Maybe that's true only in my life.... but I suspect that's not the case.
With these thoughts of presenting ourselves to God as living sacrifices, I point you to a line from Psalm 118:27, which reads in the NKJV, “Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.” Read that again. “Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.”
Now, the next time you sing a song about your life being a living sacrifice, and if you really mean it, take a moment to pause and pray... “Tie me down, Lord!”
Or as the New Living Translation (NLT) puts it, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?”
We sing songs with such lyrics as “Make my life a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to You.”
The band, Casting Crowns, in their song, “Lifesong” has a verse that says: "Lord I give my life, a living sacrifice, to reach a world in need, to be your hands and feet.”
Darryl Evans' song “I Lay Me Down” has a line that says, “I lay me down, a living sacrifice to you.”
Craig Wallis, a worship leader with Vineyard Fellowship (I think), in his song, “Sacrifice” says, “I will be a living sacrifice, pure and holy in your eyes.”
Though I could probably mention many more, I think you get the idea. The words are much easier to sing than they are to actually live out. The reason being, it has often been said, is that “The problem with living sacrifices is that they seem to want to climb down from the altar.” Maybe that's true only in my life.... but I suspect that's not the case.
With these thoughts of presenting ourselves to God as living sacrifices, I point you to a line from Psalm 118:27, which reads in the NKJV, “Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.” Read that again. “Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.”
Now, the next time you sing a song about your life being a living sacrifice, and if you really mean it, take a moment to pause and pray... “Tie me down, Lord!”
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Easter Prayer of St. Hippolytus of Rome
Easter Prayer of St Hippolytus of Rome (AD 190-236)
Christ is Risen: The world below lies desolate
Christ is Risen: The spirits of evil are fallen
Christ is Risen: The angels of God are rejoicing
Christ is Risen: The tombs of the dead are empty
Christ is Risen indeed from the dead, the first of the sleepers,
Glory and power are his forever and ever!
May all the blessings of His Resurrection be upon you!
Christ is Risen: The world below lies desolate
Christ is Risen: The spirits of evil are fallen
Christ is Risen: The angels of God are rejoicing
Christ is Risen: The tombs of the dead are empty
Christ is Risen indeed from the dead, the first of the sleepers,
Glory and power are his forever and ever!
May all the blessings of His Resurrection be upon you!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Prayer of a US Senate Chaplain
I stumbled across a little gem in a thrift store this past week week. What I found was an autographed book of prayers that were offered by U.S. Senate Chaplain, Rev. Frederick Brown Harris between the years 1942 and 1946 - the WWII years. These prayers were offered before before the opening of the daily Senate sessions. Here is a little snippet of one of his prayers that was offered during Lent. I though it would be good as we are now in Passion Week.
“Our Father God... In these solemn and searching days of the Passion, help us to take time to be holy. We would turn from the tragic, troubled world without to the inner kingdom of our own hearts, knowing that there are the issues of life and that as a man thinketh in his own heart so is he. We would dim all lesser lights that the light within may shine with new radiance, In that light we would see ourselves, stained by selfishness, warped by prejudice, blinded by pride, duped by false lights that fail. Grant unto us the grace of penitence that we would not grow insensible to our need of forgiveness, from one another and from Thee. In the crises of our times join us with those who across the waste and wilderness of human need, preparing the way of the Lord, throw up a highway for our God. Amen"
- Chaplain Rev. Frederick Brown Harris, April 16, 1943
“Our Father God... In these solemn and searching days of the Passion, help us to take time to be holy. We would turn from the tragic, troubled world without to the inner kingdom of our own hearts, knowing that there are the issues of life and that as a man thinketh in his own heart so is he. We would dim all lesser lights that the light within may shine with new radiance, In that light we would see ourselves, stained by selfishness, warped by prejudice, blinded by pride, duped by false lights that fail. Grant unto us the grace of penitence that we would not grow insensible to our need of forgiveness, from one another and from Thee. In the crises of our times join us with those who across the waste and wilderness of human need, preparing the way of the Lord, throw up a highway for our God. Amen"
- Chaplain Rev. Frederick Brown Harris, April 16, 1943
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Stations of the Cross Video
Looking forward to Holy Week I had planned on posting a specific video based on the Stations of the Cross. When I went to retrieve it for the posting I discovered that the embedding had been removed, which simply means, I am unable to post the actual video here. I will, however, post the link. Please click on it and check it out.
This is from a church in California called Storyteller Church. This church (and there are several in California) is geared toward reaching the artist community. They are made up of actors, dancers, singers, musicians, storytellers, performers of all kinds, as well as painters and sketch artists, etc. If you are an artistic type you would feel at home here. It sounds like a great idea.
In the video, you will see a sketch artist's rendition of the Passion of Christ. Though done simply with pencil or charcoal, the pictures are very moving with Selah's "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" playing in the background. I hope you are blessed by it as you enter Holy Week and approach Good Friday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzPBqQeNFb8
This is from a church in California called Storyteller Church. This church (and there are several in California) is geared toward reaching the artist community. They are made up of actors, dancers, singers, musicians, storytellers, performers of all kinds, as well as painters and sketch artists, etc. If you are an artistic type you would feel at home here. It sounds like a great idea.
In the video, you will see a sketch artist's rendition of the Passion of Christ. Though done simply with pencil or charcoal, the pictures are very moving with Selah's "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" playing in the background. I hope you are blessed by it as you enter Holy Week and approach Good Friday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzPBqQeNFb8
Thursday, March 26, 2009
It does makes one wonder....
By now I'm sure you have heard the major news story about the private plane that crashed in to a Butte, Montana cemetery, killing 7 adults and 7 children.
One point that most news sources failed to mention is that the site of the crash, Holy Cross Cemetery, contains a memorial for local residents to pray at the “Tomb of the Unborn.” This memorial was dedicated to all babies who have died as a result of abortion.
Another thing the mainstream media left out of the story is that the family who died near the abortion victim's memorial is the family of Irving “Bud” Feldkamp, owner of the largest for-profit abortion chain in the country. Though Mr. Feldkamp was not aboard this flight, two of his daughters, two sons-in-law and five of his grandchildren died in the crash along with the pilot and four family friends.
I find it interesting that the cause of the crash has been called “a mystery.”
I'm not going to jump to any mystical sowing-and-reaping conclusion, but seeing the bigger picture with the additional details does make me stop and wonder. If all these details were woven into a Hollywood movie we would find the message at least intriguing.
May God in His mercy use this tragedy to bring Mr. Feldkamp to a place of repentance.
One point that most news sources failed to mention is that the site of the crash, Holy Cross Cemetery, contains a memorial for local residents to pray at the “Tomb of the Unborn.” This memorial was dedicated to all babies who have died as a result of abortion.
Another thing the mainstream media left out of the story is that the family who died near the abortion victim's memorial is the family of Irving “Bud” Feldkamp, owner of the largest for-profit abortion chain in the country. Though Mr. Feldkamp was not aboard this flight, two of his daughters, two sons-in-law and five of his grandchildren died in the crash along with the pilot and four family friends.
I find it interesting that the cause of the crash has been called “a mystery.”
I'm not going to jump to any mystical sowing-and-reaping conclusion, but seeing the bigger picture with the additional details does make me stop and wonder. If all these details were woven into a Hollywood movie we would find the message at least intriguing.
May God in His mercy use this tragedy to bring Mr. Feldkamp to a place of repentance.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Ready or not, here we go!
There has been much discussion in recent weeks about the decline religion in America, more specifically, the evangelical stream of Christianity. Major papers across the country have written about it, news websites have posted it, bloggers have discussed it. Books have been written on the subject and I'm sure many more are being written as you are reading this.
A number of thoughts are flooding my limited-capacity brain. I will whittle them down to two main ones. From my perspective as a Pentecostal Evangelical I see:
1. WE DON'T “LIVE OUT” THE JESUS WE PROCLAIM
We may sing, “It's All About You!” but we live like “It's All About Me!” We follow after the same pleasures as the world, we seek to “get ahead in the world” that Jesus would have us leave behind. As we accumulate after more and more “stuff” and are always desiring bigger and better everything, we are as guilty of the sin of covetousness (remember that one, “Thou shalt not covet?”) as anyone whom we would say “doesn't know the Lord.”
Our teens seem to be getting pregnant at a rate comparable to that of non-Christians.
Our married couples are divorcing at a rate equal to (or in some studies, greater than) those who do not profess Christ.
Jesus said that it is in the love we have for one another that the world would know we are His disciples and that our unity would be the evidence to the world that He was sent by God. The world doesn't see it.
As long as we fail to “live out” the Jesus we proclaim, we have very little to offer those outside of Christ. It is little wonder that we are seeing a decline in evangelical Christianity.
The very evangelical St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” Another similar quote of his said it this way, “Its no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.” In street lingo we might say, “Bring it, don't sing it!”
2. WE HAVE DEMYSTIFIED GOD
It seems to me that we've lost the awe and fear and reverence of God. The Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth and Lord over all the universe has become “Our Buddy who art in heaven...” We have dumbed down God so He is easier to understand and figure out than the guy across the street. We have conformed Him into our likeness rather than allowing Him to conform us into the image of Christ.
A god we can fully comprehend and has no mystery is not the God of of the Bible. For His ways are always higher than ours; His thoughts are always higher than ours. An amoeba can more easily understand the complex workings of an advanced computer than we can understand how God works. Yes! He is that big! Oh, we have glimpses in the Holy Scriptures, but they are only that.
In our desire to be relevant to the world, the evangelical Church has failed to remain reverent before God. We need both: relevance and reverence.
In our attempt to avoid being thought of as being religious, we've reduced sacraments to ordinances, down-graded rituals to ceremonies and replaced traditions with whatever is trendy. We've become seeker friendly instead of being God-focused and worship is now more of a performance that entertains rather than an act that humbles our hearts in surrender before a holy and all-powerful God. And we wonder why our American evangelical Church is in decline. We've compromised the sacred in the name of being lead by the Spirit.
May God have mercy and send a true revival of Christlikeness to His Church.
A number of thoughts are flooding my limited-capacity brain. I will whittle them down to two main ones. From my perspective as a Pentecostal Evangelical I see:
1. WE DON'T “LIVE OUT” THE JESUS WE PROCLAIM
We may sing, “It's All About You!” but we live like “It's All About Me!” We follow after the same pleasures as the world, we seek to “get ahead in the world” that Jesus would have us leave behind. As we accumulate after more and more “stuff” and are always desiring bigger and better everything, we are as guilty of the sin of covetousness (remember that one, “Thou shalt not covet?”) as anyone whom we would say “doesn't know the Lord.”
Our teens seem to be getting pregnant at a rate comparable to that of non-Christians.
Our married couples are divorcing at a rate equal to (or in some studies, greater than) those who do not profess Christ.
Jesus said that it is in the love we have for one another that the world would know we are His disciples and that our unity would be the evidence to the world that He was sent by God. The world doesn't see it.
As long as we fail to “live out” the Jesus we proclaim, we have very little to offer those outside of Christ. It is little wonder that we are seeing a decline in evangelical Christianity.
The very evangelical St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” Another similar quote of his said it this way, “Its no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.” In street lingo we might say, “Bring it, don't sing it!”
2. WE HAVE DEMYSTIFIED GOD
It seems to me that we've lost the awe and fear and reverence of God. The Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth and Lord over all the universe has become “Our Buddy who art in heaven...” We have dumbed down God so He is easier to understand and figure out than the guy across the street. We have conformed Him into our likeness rather than allowing Him to conform us into the image of Christ.
A god we can fully comprehend and has no mystery is not the God of of the Bible. For His ways are always higher than ours; His thoughts are always higher than ours. An amoeba can more easily understand the complex workings of an advanced computer than we can understand how God works. Yes! He is that big! Oh, we have glimpses in the Holy Scriptures, but they are only that.
In our desire to be relevant to the world, the evangelical Church has failed to remain reverent before God. We need both: relevance and reverence.
In our attempt to avoid being thought of as being religious, we've reduced sacraments to ordinances, down-graded rituals to ceremonies and replaced traditions with whatever is trendy. We've become seeker friendly instead of being God-focused and worship is now more of a performance that entertains rather than an act that humbles our hearts in surrender before a holy and all-powerful God. And we wonder why our American evangelical Church is in decline. We've compromised the sacred in the name of being lead by the Spirit.
May God have mercy and send a true revival of Christlikeness to His Church.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Saint Patrick's Creed
Tomorrow is Saint Patrick's Day. All the revelry that will take place would grieve the heart of this true Celtic saint. He was a true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. So devoted to his Lord and Savior, his heartbeat may have sounded something like this: "Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me." (See my December 12, 2008 entry, St. Patrick's Breastplate)
Saint Patrick's Creed is taken from his own writings and is a clear proclamation of the truths of the Christian faith.
Saint Patrick’s Creed
There is no other God, nor ever was, nor will be,
than God the Father unbegotten, without beginning,
from whom is all beginning,
the Lord of the universe, as we have been taught;
and His son Jesus Christ, whom we declare
has always been with the Father, spiritually and
ineffably begotten by the Father before the
beginning of the world, before all beginning;
and by Him are made all things visible and invisible.
He was made man, and,
having defeated death, was received into heaven by the Father;
and He hath given Him all power over all names
in heaven, on earth, and under the earth,
and every tongue shall confess to Him that Jesus Christ is Lord and God,
in whom we believe, and whose advent we expect soon to be,
judge of the living and of the dead,
who will render to every man according to his deeds; and
He has poured forth upon us abundantly the Holy Spirit,
the gift and pledge of immortality,
who makes those who believe and obey sons of God and joint heirs with Christ;
and Him do we confess and adore, one God in the Trinity of the Holy Name.
Above, I mentioned St. Patrick's Breastplate, here is a version of it put to song:
Saint Patrick's Creed is taken from his own writings and is a clear proclamation of the truths of the Christian faith.
Saint Patrick’s Creed
There is no other God, nor ever was, nor will be,
than God the Father unbegotten, without beginning,
from whom is all beginning,
the Lord of the universe, as we have been taught;
and His son Jesus Christ, whom we declare
has always been with the Father, spiritually and
ineffably begotten by the Father before the
beginning of the world, before all beginning;
and by Him are made all things visible and invisible.
He was made man, and,
having defeated death, was received into heaven by the Father;
and He hath given Him all power over all names
in heaven, on earth, and under the earth,
and every tongue shall confess to Him that Jesus Christ is Lord and God,
in whom we believe, and whose advent we expect soon to be,
judge of the living and of the dead,
who will render to every man according to his deeds; and
He has poured forth upon us abundantly the Holy Spirit,
the gift and pledge of immortality,
who makes those who believe and obey sons of God and joint heirs with Christ;
and Him do we confess and adore, one God in the Trinity of the Holy Name.
Above, I mentioned St. Patrick's Breastplate, here is a version of it put to song:
Sunday, March 15, 2009
On Being Religious
Tee shirts and bumper stickers are very good discussion starters. You've seen my use of it in at least one of my previous blogs.
Well, I've got another one – the tee shirt that says, “I'm not religious, I just love the Lord.”
For some reason we think there is an added depth of spirituality to say that we are not religious. On the contrary, that could be one of the big problems with the Church today. We want to be recognized as being Christian and be identified as being part of a particular church, but we don't want to be thought of as being religious, as if that is a bad thing.
Consider the statement: “I'm a Christian, but I am not religious about my faith.” (After all, that is what we are talking about – religion and faith.)
Now consider some dictionary definitions and synonyms of the word “religious”........
devoted; reverent; godly; concerned with sacred matters; scrupulously faithful; conscientious; disciplined; extremely scrupulous
Yep. That about sums it up. The segment of the Church that doesn't want to be called religious very often is not devoted, not reverent, not godly, not concerned with sacred matters, not conscientious, not disciplined, not scrupulously faithful, not extremely scrupulous.
Let me say it a different way. “I just love the Lord. I'm just not devoted, reverent, godly, disciplined, concerned with sacred matters, etc.” See how foolish that sounds? It is not any more foolish than saying you are not religious, but still love the Lord.
There is nothing wrong with being religious, if you are religious about the right things! Sure, Jesus criticized the Pharisees and other religious leaders of his day - not because they were religious, but because they were religious in and about the wrong things and for the wrong reasons.
Without hesitation I admit that I am religious. I am religious about prayer and Bible reading, fasting, church attendance, tithing, living a life that causes no doubt in others that I am a Christian.
I guess my tee shirt could say: I AM religious, BECAUSE I love the Lord!
Well, I've got another one – the tee shirt that says, “I'm not religious, I just love the Lord.”
For some reason we think there is an added depth of spirituality to say that we are not religious. On the contrary, that could be one of the big problems with the Church today. We want to be recognized as being Christian and be identified as being part of a particular church, but we don't want to be thought of as being religious, as if that is a bad thing.
Consider the statement: “I'm a Christian, but I am not religious about my faith.” (After all, that is what we are talking about – religion and faith.)
Now consider some dictionary definitions and synonyms of the word “religious”........
devoted; reverent; godly; concerned with sacred matters; scrupulously faithful; conscientious; disciplined; extremely scrupulous
Yep. That about sums it up. The segment of the Church that doesn't want to be called religious very often is not devoted, not reverent, not godly, not concerned with sacred matters, not conscientious, not disciplined, not scrupulously faithful, not extremely scrupulous.
Let me say it a different way. “I just love the Lord. I'm just not devoted, reverent, godly, disciplined, concerned with sacred matters, etc.” See how foolish that sounds? It is not any more foolish than saying you are not religious, but still love the Lord.
There is nothing wrong with being religious, if you are religious about the right things! Sure, Jesus criticized the Pharisees and other religious leaders of his day - not because they were religious, but because they were religious in and about the wrong things and for the wrong reasons.
Without hesitation I admit that I am religious. I am religious about prayer and Bible reading, fasting, church attendance, tithing, living a life that causes no doubt in others that I am a Christian.
I guess my tee shirt could say: I AM religious, BECAUSE I love the Lord!
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