Can You Out Give God?

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself" Gal 6:2-3

After his eventful day of murder and mayhem, Cain asked God if he was his brothers keeper. Some centuries later a popular musical hit of the 60's stated "he's not heavy. He's my brother." There is a lot of history in between those two events. The most significant moment in time between them was the life and death of Jesus Christ. It is he who brought about the change from "no" to "yes" (from the human standpoint) to the brother's keeper question. For He taught that we should bear one another's burdens. He said we should love our neighbors. When asked who our neighbor was, He replied "whoever is in need."

By bearing each other's burdens, we fulfill the "law of Christ." What law is that? Try this one on for size. "Love your neighbor as yourself." Or, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Can you imagine what our world would be like if we would only "bear on another's burden?" Who would sell drugs on that dark corner? Who would rape the first girl he saw? Who would commit murder? Who would rob or steal? Would you dare lie to a brother who's burden you were carrying? Would you cheat on your wife or husband? Of course not! You are to bear their burden, not make them heavier. Just in case you think you might be above this command, Paul tells us the man who thinks he is something when in actuality he is just a little, frail human like the rest of us, is deceived -- not by satan, but by his own thoughts. This means that none of us are so high and mighty that we can forget about our brother or sister in their need.

Truthfully, the person who has the most should be willing to help the most. Don't get me wrong. I do not advocate socialism in any way. What I do suggest is that we willingly share out of our bounty with those who are in want. This type of generosity cannot be legislated through taxes. Nor can it be commanded by "generosity police." It only comes through the firm belief that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and that He alone gives us the love we need to be generous. Granted, there are those who have an innate goodness without Jesus, but they are the exception, not the rule. And even then, they are most likely to have a Christian background. Let's take the opportunity this week to develop a bit of generosity. Instead of looking down on the poor, let us help to lift them up. Instead of shunning the "ugly", let's find the "beauty" in them. Instead of hoarding our meager wealth, let's give it away! I can guarantee that there is no way you will ever out give God.

What does Love mean? Kids 4 to 8 year Share Their Answers :)

There is nothing I could find to dispute these stories. True or not they are humorous and touching.

What does Love mean? Kids 4 to 8 year Share Their Answers

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."
Rebecca - age 8

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
Billy - age 4

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."
Karl - age 5

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
Chrissy - age 6

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
Terri - age 4

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
Danny - age 7

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss"
Emily - age 8

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
Bobby - age 7

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,"
Nikka - age 6

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
Noelle - age 7

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still it's gross."
Mark - age 6

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
Jessica - age 8

One Final Entry from Leo Buscaglia

"Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said...""Nothing, I just helped him cry."

Turn Your Tears of Sorrow to Joy

"And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep." For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law"
Neh 8:9

There is something foreboding about the truth -- especially when you are trying to hide from it. It seems to reach out and slap you in the face. It takes your breath away. It crushes your pride. It causes great pain. It reveals your true nature. And you weep with great sorrow -- and brings you to repentance.

That's what happened to the people who returned from the exile. They were rebuilding the entire city of Jerusalem -- making it safe for habitation -- making it a place to worship God again. Then someone finds a copy of the law. An assembly is called. The Word of God is read. Sin is revealed -- and the wailing begins.

That's one way to look at the truth. Nehemiah had another idea. He saw the truth as an opportunity to begin again. He sent word to stop the weeping. It was not a time to cry, but a time to celebrate. The truth had been revealed. Now they knew why they had been in exile. Now they knew why their plans had failed. Now they knew what to do to correct the problem! Indeed it was a time to celebrate!

I've said that true revival will begin with the sound of weeping -- and I still believe that. But after the weeping will come the celebration of life! While we may not enjoy the truth, we all love a good party! Why will we celebrate? We will have found new life. We will have discovered new strength. We will have broken through the barrier that separates us from God. We will have touched the heart of God. We will have entered into His presence.

Yes, we will celebrate. But first comes the weeping in the night. As the psalmist says, "Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy." (Psa 126:5)

Thanks Lord for Being Who You Are

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name"
Psalm 100:4

Praise and thanksgiving are part of every level of prayer. They are continuous as we walk in the light. To come before God with thanks- giving is no different than coming before our earthly parents with an attitude of gratitude. Nothing disturbs a parent more than a child who is always demanding, forever complaining, and never satisfied. How would you feel if you've given as much as you can as a parent and your child still wants more, more, more? On the other hand, how would you feel toward the child who snuggles up and says, "Thanks for being who you are. I just love you and I know you're doing the best you can for me." What a great parent-child relationship.

Can you imagine approaching God and demanding, "I want more!"

And He responds, "I gave you My only begotten Son."

"But I want more!"

We ought to start every day by saying, "Thank You, heavenly Father. I deserved eternal damnation, but You gave me eternal life. How may I serve You today?

Praising God is acknowledging His attributes. I try to be aware when I pray that God is the ever-present, all-powerful, all-knowing, loving heavenly Father. I don't praise Him because He needs me to tell Him who He is. He knows who He is. I am the one who needs to keep His divine attributes constantly in my mind. I try to keep the knowledge of God's presence foremost in my thoughts. No matter where I go, He is with me.

Step Into The Presence of Jesus

"The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him"
Nahum 1:7

It's nice to be known. When you walk into a room full of strangers, you immediately look for a familiar face. Why? We don't like to be alone. If we see two faces that we know and they are on opposite ends of the room, we have a choice to make. Invariably we move to the end housing the person with whom we are most comfortable. We just like to have company in a strange or uncomfortable situation.

How important it is then that we know the Lord. Even more important that He knows US! There have been times that I walked up to that familiar face only to discover that the person didn't know (or remember) me! Now that's embarrassing. What do you say when you greet a person with a hearty "Hello, Bob. How are you." Only to be greeted with a puzzled look
and a "Do I know you?" It makes you want to melt through the cracks in the floor!

It certainly is comforting that we are known by the Lord when we take refuge in Him. Not only are we known by Him, but He welcomes us with open arms. He asks how we are doing. He inquires about our spouse, our kids, the job . . . . He is interested in all our doings. He makes us feel welcome -- at home -- at ease. When we are in His refuge, His shelter, His fortress, we have nothing to fear. If you are outside the stronghold looking in, open your door and enter. Yes, you read me right. The only door that keeps you out of God's presence is the door that you keep closed to Him -- your door -- your heart -- your privacy. In all reality, God has no doors on His kingdom for He is willing to accept all comers. It is only our refusal to accept Him as our Savior, our Lord, our King, that separates us from the joy and peace we all seek.

So, open your door and walk into the presence of Jesus. Though you may have done it before, you can do it again -- every day. Don't allow yourself to be kept apart from Him. He certainly wants you in His presence. He will never turn you away if you are seeking His face.

Love Those Who Hate You

"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.
Matthew 5.44

Abraham Lincoln was a master of forming alliances between peoples of divergent opinions. He incorporated people who disagreed with him into his personal staff. This didn't always promote harmony in the White House. One day one of his advisors came to him and said, "Mr. President,
you really have to destroy your enemies." Mr. Lincoln smiled and said, "Isn't that what I do when I make them my friends?"

There is great wisdom in that statement. Yet that wisdom predated Lincoln by 1800 years. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus announced a revolutionary way to deal with your enemies. He said, you return kindness for injury, love for hate, courtesy for dishonor. It seems backwards, but it works. It's mighty hard to hate someone who is busy loving you and doing good for you.

In addition, it is baffling to them. They can't understand what is up. They wonder why the person is not retaliating or snubbing them. The smile on that person's face is like a spotlight of conviction. It eventually becomes too difficult to go on hating the other. It also becomes futile since that person really isn't hurting. Curiosity arises and the person begins to wonder what is there about this person which causes them to remain friendly when others are not. That curiosity leads to questions which can eventually lead to the only answer worth giving.

That answer is that we love those who hate us because God did the same for us. In Romans 5.10 Paul writes: "When we were enemies [of God], we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." God, like Lincoln, defeats his enemies by making them his friends. Indeed he goes one step further and makes them his sons and daughters. Praise God that I was one enemy he destroyed by recreation of my soul.

Lord, let us remember that we were once your enemies and you loved us. In that same way let us love and convert those who oppose us.

If You Are Sure God Is In It, JUST DO IT

"And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"
Luke 14:2-3

Jesus never backed away from a task just because it flew in the face of contemporary convention. In this case the rabbinical interpretation of the Sabbath commandment was that absolutely no work could be done on the Sabbath. So, when presented with an afflicted man, Jesus asked whether it was right to heal him. This put the Pharisees in a box. If they said "yes",
they would be contradicting their own teachings. If they answer "no", they would incur the wrath of the populace. Being good politicians (rather than good spiritual leaders), they did not answer at all.

Jesus healed the man.

"So what?" you ask. "I can't heal someone. I don't even know if my prayers to God for healing work. I've prayed for this certain person and they got worse and died. Again I ask, so what?" It wasn't so much the healing that was important here. It was Jesus' example of obedience to God rather than man's interpretation of God. He bucked the flow. He swam upstream -- and He did it gracefully and perfectly.

You and I are often asked by God or one of His representatives to go against the flow. Most often we refuse. God may be pointing out something in your life that needs to be removed. Remove it. Don't argue. Don't buck. Do it! He may be asking you to go to the mission field -- or tell your neighbor about Jesus -- or change jobs from the lucrative one you have to one that is more fulfilling but lower paying. What ever it is -- no matter what others say -- if you are sure God is in it JUST DO IT!

As Jesus found favor with the Father, so will you -- and you will be blessed on earth as well.

Always Do What Daddy Says

"Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him
closely"
Luke 14:1

Jesus never had a moment's peace. Everyone was watching Him. From the day He walked into the Jordan River to be baptized He took on celebrity status. The first year was wonderful. Everyone loved Him. The second was more trying. The third -- well let's say it would have driven a mortal man insane!

The people watched Him because He did exiting things -- and maybe, just maybe it would happen to them. People haven't changed much. We still like to think the good things will happen to us. They all hoped that Jesus would touch them, speak to them, heal them, deliver them. The Romans watched Him -- He just might challenge the power of Rome and they couldn't have that! As His popularity grew, their eyes grew more jaundiced. A large crowd could certainly mean trouble in an occupied country. But it was the religious leaders who watched Him the most -- and trusted Him the least. He spoke with authority. The quoted the old teachers as though they were afraid to have an original thought!

He fed the multitudes -- they only taxed them. He healed the sick -- they condemned them as sinners. He cast out demons. They thought that authority -- though seldom used -- was theirs alone. He raised the dead -- not that had to be 'the work of the devil. No human could do that -- not even the high priest -- the most holy of them all (or at least the most politically savvy.) Yes, they watched Him like a hawk watched a mouse play in the field. They waited for Him to get too far astray -- then they would swoop down on Him and do away with Him -- then their power
would remain strong.

Jesus didn't seem to mind. He just did what the Son of God would do even if they didn't watch. He healed the sick -- even on the Sabbath! Didn't bother Him in the least. He raised the dead -- even the gentile dead. He cast out demons -- in the name of the Father. In short, He just did what Daddy said to do.

People are watching you. They want to see your faith in action. They want to see if you crack under pressure. They want to know if this Jesus you worship is real -- real in you. They are watching. How do you respond?

Let God Take the Controls

"We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed."II Corinthians 4.8-9

This scripture has been a sort of theme scripture for my life ever since I heard John Fischer quote it in a musical entitled "The New Covenant". Since that time I've done some study into the Greek words which make up this scripture. Especially thrilling when you understand the words is the part which says we are troubled on every side but not distressed. The word for "troubled on every side" means among other things to be placed in a wine press for crushing. The word for distressed can also be translated, "crushed."

As Christians we often get the idea that being a Christian is sort of an antidote for all the difficult stuff we face everyday. Then we get up one morning and we have a flat tire, we're late for work, get yelled at by the boss, discover a bill we didn't know we had, trip on the stairs and have afight with our spouse and say, "Lord, this isn't what I signed up for." Well, read that scripture over. It's exactly what you signed up for.

We are destined to be thrown into the wine press, but --- and here is the good part --- we will not be crushed. You see, God is doing something special in each of our lives. He is creating in our daily walk a demonstration of his power to the rest of the world. They look at us and see a quality of endurance which is baffling. And when they ask, how do you stand up under the pressure, we have an answer. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit saith the Lord."

No matter how much pressure the enemy places on the wine press, we cannot be crushed. God said it and it's so.

Lord, thank you for being there with me in times of trouble and distress.

A Good Joke

A mother called her son one Sunday morning, to get out of bed and get ready for Church. He replied "I'm not going'"

His mother said "Yes you are goin', so get out of that bed."

He replied "Give me ONE good reason why I should go."

She replied, "I'll give you THREE good reasons....
1. I'm your mother, and I say you're goin'.
2. You're 40 years old, so old enough to know better.
3. You're the Father, so you need to be there.....

Are You Ready for the Coming Battle?

"Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ"
1 Pet 1:13

Most of us tend to forget that we, as Christians, are in a war zone -- fighting a very real battle. For the most part, our lives are pretty easy as believers. We haven't been thrown in prison for our faith. Our church buildings have not been invaded by armed police. We haven't lost our jobs because we are Christians. The grocery store will still take our cash and our checks. We aren't thrown out of our homes to live in the street. Life is pretty good!

Peter reminds us that we are enlisted in a mighty army. He warns us that we need to be in a state of readiness, prepared for battle. We need a constant "mind awareness" that we could be called into action at any moment. We must keep focused upon Jesus and the duties at hand.

This means that we have an absolute mandate to not let the world and it's affairs distract us from our mission in life -- to be good and faithful servants of the Lord, Jesus Christ. It is too easy to come home from a hard day at work and "unwind" in front of the TV. We often don't feel the "need" to attend services every time the door is open. (Services are part of the war training that we must have to be ready to fight spiritual battles.) Prayer is something that we do on a "when the need arises" basis -- my need, that is, not yours.

I suspect that Peter would cringe at our state of readiness -- or lack thereof. His life literally depended upon and was consumed by his need to serve Jesus as a willing "slave." I doubt that he would understand all of our "needs." Rather he would shake his head in wonder at all of the "things" that so easily distract us -- then prepare a special "tactical drill" that would show us our weakness!
Amen and Amen.

Where Am I ?

I am back after years of disappearing from the blogging world....