March
Our Chaotic Life
This notice appeared in the window of a coat store in Nottingham, England: "We have been established for over 100 years and have been pleasing and displeasing customers ever since. We have made money and lost money, suffered the effects of coal nationalization, coat rationing, government control and bad payers. We have been cussed and discussed, messed about, lied to, held up, robbed and swindled. The only reason we stay in business is to see what happens next."
"The present generation always discovers what the older generation has already forgotten." ~ Goethe
"Don't judge a man until you've walked two moons in his moccasins." ~ Native American saying.
Presently, 1700 pastors leave the clergy system (pastorate) each month in the United States.
Making the rounds on the internet is a list called "Ten Things God Won't Ask." I've edited them down to eight.
1. God won't ask what kind of car you drove, but God will ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.
2. God won't ask the square footage of your house, but God will ask how many people you welcomed into your home.
3. God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, but God will ask how many you helped to clothe.
4. God won't ask what your highest salary was, but God will ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.
5. God won't ask what your job title was, but God will ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.
6. God won't ask how many friends you had, but God will ask how many people to whom you were a friend.
7. God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, but God will ask how you treated your neighbors.
8. God won't ask about the color of your skin, but God will ask about the content of your character.
If it looked easy, we could do it by ourselves, we would not need God.
When it’s not humanly possible, we need to depend on God.
This will take faith! Keep praying. If it is God’s will, He will provide. He’s already given us the money. We just have to find whose wallets and purses He put it in.
God bless us as we explore the possibilities. May His Holy Spirit give us the wisdom and insight we need for this project.
Using Up the Ground
Soil was at a premium in Israel. It was not unusual for a vineyard owner to give a little bit of his soil up for a fruit tree but the tree took up the best soil, the deepest soil, and required the most water. A fig tree doesn’t grow fruit until three years after planting. The owner in this story, had given the tree “due season” to bear fruit and yet the tree bore no fruit. It took up valuable space and resources. The owner questioned why the tree was allowed to “even use up ground.”
God had given the Israelites the choicest ground. Their land possessed everything necessary to make themselves a great nation, indeed, a light to all nations. They were strategically positioned to send the fruit of God north and south, east and west; but instead, in-fighting continued to make them a worthless fruit tree.
Everyone one of us and all of our churches will have to answer (from God’s perspective) this same question; “Why does it even use up the ground?”
THE BIBLE
When the King James Version was released in 1611, the translators included an "Address to the Reader," which said, in condensed form: "Scripture is a paradise of trees of life, which brings forth fruits every month, and the leaves for medicine. It is a shower of heavenly bread and a cellar full of oil vessels whereby all our necessities may be provided. It is a pantry of
wholesome food against moldy traditions, a pharmacist's shop against poisoned heresies; a code of profitable laws against rebellious spirit; a treasure of costly jewels against beggarly rudiments, a foundation of most pure water springing up into everlasting life."
We are not citizens of this world trying to make our way to heaven; we are citizens of heaven trying to make our way through this world. That radical Christian insight can be lifechanging. We are not to live so as to earn God’s love, inherit heaven, and purchase our salvation. All those are given to us as gifts; gifts bought by Jesus on the cross and handed over to us. We are to live as God’s redeemed, as heirs of heaven, and as citizens of another land: the Kingdom of God…. We live as those who are on a journey home; a home we know will have the lights on and the door open and our Father waiting for us when we arrive. That means in all adversity our worship of God is joyful, our life is hopeful, our future is secure. There is nothing we can lose on earth that can rob us of the treasures God has given us and will give us. --The Landisfarne, via The Anglican Digest
"We lose the approval of The Lord when we seek the applause of men.”
CELL PHONE vs. BIBLE
- I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cellphone?
- What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
- What if we flipped through it several time a day?
- What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
- What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
- What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
- What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
- What if we used it when we traveled?
- What if we used it in case of emergency?
- Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.
When you first look at all the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, it's hard to believe there's actually
a picture in there. But there's an important key to working a puzzle. You need to keep referring to the picture on the box. That's what helps you know what the finished product is supposed to look like.
Do you ever look at the jumbled pieces of your life, wondering how they could ever fit
together? God has given us a picture of what we'll look like when He's finished with us.
The book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is "the radiance of the glory of God and the exact
imprint of his nature." Jesus is our picture of holiness. As we give all the pieces of our lives to
God, He'll help us grow into the image of His Son.
Are you growing in holiness? There's one way to know. Study what God's Word says
about Jesus, and then ask whether you're becoming more like Him.
When we find something we like at the store, one of the first things we do is look at the price tag. "Whoa! It looks really cute hanging right there on that rack!"
Wouldn't it be nice if temptation were the same way, if we understood the cost of sin right
up front? If the forbidden fruit had been rotten and crawling with worms, do you think Eve
would have taken any? But Genesis tells us, "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree
was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she
took some and ate it." She acted on her immediate desires without looking at the price tag.
You'll be faced with a lot of decisions today. Would you ask God to give you discernment?
He can help you recognize the cost of sin, no matter how attractive it looks at the moment.
"The glum, sour faces of many Christians. ... They rather give the impression that, instead of coming from the Father's joyful banquet, they have just come from the Sheriff who has auctioned off their sins and now are sorry they can't get them back again." - Helmut Thielicke
"Men occasionally stumble on the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off
as if nothing had happened." Winston Churchill
"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." Mark Twain
During a road trip I stopped in a small town to grab a bite to eat. I walked into a local pizza place and the first thing I noticed was a sign on the wall advising: "Price. Quality. Service. Pick Any Two."
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change and she does.
The evening news is where they begin with 'Good evening,' and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.
Q: What do you get when you pour hot water down a rabbit hole? A: A Hot Cross bunny.
Q: What do you call ten rabbits marching backwards? A: A receding hareline
Q: Why didn't the egg cross the road? A: Because he wasn't a chicken yet!
Q: What day does an egg hate the most? A: Fry-days.
BECAUSE
Because He emptied Himself of all but love, you can be filled.
Because His body was broken, your life can be whole.
Because His blood was shed, your sins can be forgiven.
Because He submitted to injustice, you can forgive.
Because He finished His Father's work, your life has worth.
Because He was forsaken, you will never be alone.
Because He was buried, you can be raised.
Because He lives, you don't have to be afraid.
Because He was raised, you can be strong.
Because He reached down to you, you don't have to work your way up to Him.
Because His promises are always true, you can have hope!
-- Author Unknown
This notice appeared in the window of a coat store in Nottingham, England: "We have been established for over 100 years and have been pleasing and displeasing customers ever since. We have made money and lost money, suffered the effects of coal nationalization, coat rationing, government control and bad payers. We have been cussed and discussed, messed about, lied to, held up, robbed and swindled. The only reason we stay in business is to see what happens next."
"The present generation always discovers what the older generation has already forgotten." ~ Goethe
"Don't judge a man until you've walked two moons in his moccasins." ~ Native American saying.
Presently, 1700 pastors leave the clergy system (pastorate) each month in the United States.
Making the rounds on the internet is a list called "Ten Things God Won't Ask." I've edited them down to eight.
1. God won't ask what kind of car you drove, but God will ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.
2. God won't ask the square footage of your house, but God will ask how many people you welcomed into your home.
3. God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, but God will ask how many you helped to clothe.
4. God won't ask what your highest salary was, but God will ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.
5. God won't ask what your job title was, but God will ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.
6. God won't ask how many friends you had, but God will ask how many people to whom you were a friend.
7. God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, but God will ask how you treated your neighbors.
8. God won't ask about the color of your skin, but God will ask about the content of your character.
If it looked easy, we could do it by ourselves, we would not need God.
When it’s not humanly possible, we need to depend on God.
This will take faith! Keep praying. If it is God’s will, He will provide. He’s already given us the money. We just have to find whose wallets and purses He put it in.
God bless us as we explore the possibilities. May His Holy Spirit give us the wisdom and insight we need for this project.
Using Up the Ground
Soil was at a premium in Israel. It was not unusual for a vineyard owner to give a little bit of his soil up for a fruit tree but the tree took up the best soil, the deepest soil, and required the most water. A fig tree doesn’t grow fruit until three years after planting. The owner in this story, had given the tree “due season” to bear fruit and yet the tree bore no fruit. It took up valuable space and resources. The owner questioned why the tree was allowed to “even use up ground.”
God had given the Israelites the choicest ground. Their land possessed everything necessary to make themselves a great nation, indeed, a light to all nations. They were strategically positioned to send the fruit of God north and south, east and west; but instead, in-fighting continued to make them a worthless fruit tree.
Everyone one of us and all of our churches will have to answer (from God’s perspective) this same question; “Why does it even use up the ground?”
THE BIBLE
When the King James Version was released in 1611, the translators included an "Address to the Reader," which said, in condensed form: "Scripture is a paradise of trees of life, which brings forth fruits every month, and the leaves for medicine. It is a shower of heavenly bread and a cellar full of oil vessels whereby all our necessities may be provided. It is a pantry of
wholesome food against moldy traditions, a pharmacist's shop against poisoned heresies; a code of profitable laws against rebellious spirit; a treasure of costly jewels against beggarly rudiments, a foundation of most pure water springing up into everlasting life."
We are not citizens of this world trying to make our way to heaven; we are citizens of heaven trying to make our way through this world. That radical Christian insight can be lifechanging. We are not to live so as to earn God’s love, inherit heaven, and purchase our salvation. All those are given to us as gifts; gifts bought by Jesus on the cross and handed over to us. We are to live as God’s redeemed, as heirs of heaven, and as citizens of another land: the Kingdom of God…. We live as those who are on a journey home; a home we know will have the lights on and the door open and our Father waiting for us when we arrive. That means in all adversity our worship of God is joyful, our life is hopeful, our future is secure. There is nothing we can lose on earth that can rob us of the treasures God has given us and will give us. --The Landisfarne, via The Anglican Digest
"We lose the approval of The Lord when we seek the applause of men.”
CELL PHONE vs. BIBLE
- I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cellphone?
- What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
- What if we flipped through it several time a day?
- What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
- What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
- What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
- What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
- What if we used it when we traveled?
- What if we used it in case of emergency?
- Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.
When you first look at all the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, it's hard to believe there's actually
a picture in there. But there's an important key to working a puzzle. You need to keep referring to the picture on the box. That's what helps you know what the finished product is supposed to look like.
Do you ever look at the jumbled pieces of your life, wondering how they could ever fit
together? God has given us a picture of what we'll look like when He's finished with us.
The book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is "the radiance of the glory of God and the exact
imprint of his nature." Jesus is our picture of holiness. As we give all the pieces of our lives to
God, He'll help us grow into the image of His Son.
Are you growing in holiness? There's one way to know. Study what God's Word says
about Jesus, and then ask whether you're becoming more like Him.
When we find something we like at the store, one of the first things we do is look at the price tag. "Whoa! It looks really cute hanging right there on that rack!"
Wouldn't it be nice if temptation were the same way, if we understood the cost of sin right
up front? If the forbidden fruit had been rotten and crawling with worms, do you think Eve
would have taken any? But Genesis tells us, "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree
was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she
took some and ate it." She acted on her immediate desires without looking at the price tag.
You'll be faced with a lot of decisions today. Would you ask God to give you discernment?
He can help you recognize the cost of sin, no matter how attractive it looks at the moment.
"The glum, sour faces of many Christians. ... They rather give the impression that, instead of coming from the Father's joyful banquet, they have just come from the Sheriff who has auctioned off their sins and now are sorry they can't get them back again." - Helmut Thielicke
"Men occasionally stumble on the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off
as if nothing had happened." Winston Churchill
"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." Mark Twain
During a road trip I stopped in a small town to grab a bite to eat. I walked into a local pizza place and the first thing I noticed was a sign on the wall advising: "Price. Quality. Service. Pick Any Two."
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change and she does.
The evening news is where they begin with 'Good evening,' and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.
Q: What do you get when you pour hot water down a rabbit hole? A: A Hot Cross bunny.
Q: What do you call ten rabbits marching backwards? A: A receding hareline
Q: Why didn't the egg cross the road? A: Because he wasn't a chicken yet!
Q: What day does an egg hate the most? A: Fry-days.
BECAUSE
Because He emptied Himself of all but love, you can be filled.
Because His body was broken, your life can be whole.
Because His blood was shed, your sins can be forgiven.
Because He submitted to injustice, you can forgive.
Because He finished His Father's work, your life has worth.
Because He was forsaken, you will never be alone.
Because He was buried, you can be raised.
Because He lives, you don't have to be afraid.
Because He was raised, you can be strong.
Because He reached down to you, you don't have to work your way up to Him.
Because His promises are always true, you can have hope!
-- Author Unknown
posted by joypastordon at 10:11 PM
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