Monthly Archives: February 2013

Living On Purpose

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Yesterday I watched a video of a high school boys basketball game.  One of the teams have a manager who has special needs.  The coach wanted to honor his commitment to the team by allowing him to suit up in uniform like the rest of the team.  It was such a wonderful gesture.  Then, the coach put the young man in the game where his teammates tried repeatedly to pass him the ball so he could make a shot.  Time after time he missed.  At the end of the game an opposing player passes this young man the ball and he makes a shot.  His team still lost; but, the benches emptied as did the stands in celebration of this young man’s accomplishments.  See the video here.  (Hankies are required, believe me.)

The young man who passed the ball inbounds to the manager said on camera that he was raised to treat other people like he wanted to be treated.  I wish him descendants as many as the sands of the beach.  Here is a young man that went above and beyond to let someone else take the spotlight and have their “moment of fame’.  I imagine his parents were swelled up the size of Texas with pride in their son for his act of kindness and compassion.

Today, too many of us live for the moment or we live for the almighty “me”.  I assure you that “me” is in no way near almighty.  When we live for self we miss so many of God’s richest blessings.  We need to be sharing the gospel with others to win them to Christ.  Look at Romans 9:3, “For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:”  Our purpose in life is to worship God and serve others.  It is high time we get to it.

So, how are you doing?

Require

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I was watching the show “Emergency!” on television the other evening.  As I watched, I was looking at their equipment.  Now, I know this is Hollywood.  As I watched I saw guys running in without their Self Contained Breathing Apparatus.  The guys who did go into a fire suited did not have Nomex hoods.  Maybe this is before the days of this stuff.

Today these are required and rightfully so.  It is not some bureaucrat trying to control the minions in the fire department.  It is done for safety reasons.  That is why they are now requirements.

In the realm of Christianity there are requirements too.  That is one thing that even unsaved people know about our faith.  They think it is all do’s and do not’s.  That is just not the way it is.  Now, there are requirements.  God has put them there to protect us.  Look at Deuteronomy 10:12-13, “And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?”  These are safety measures put into the lives of God’s people to protect them; but, people don’t see it that way.  This leaves them to live in rebellion.  That leads to an unhappy and unfulfilled life.  So, why don’t we focus on pleasing God and not on the fact that there are do’s and do not’s?  Shall we?

So, how are you doing?

 

Refined

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Dr. Paul Chappell wrote yesterday in his “Launch Out in His Word” e-mail, ”

‘”Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.”  Proverbs 25:4-5

When silver is mined from the ground it is commonly mixed with a number of other elements. In order to get pure silver that can be used for commercial or industrial purposes, it must be refined. Silver has an extraordinarily high melting point—it must be heated to nearly 2,200 degrees in order to be refined to complete purity. Only when it has been through that process does the silver become useful for its intended function. Beautiful service pieces, high tech equipment, and collectible coins all become possible once the silver has been refined. Without that process, it is largely worthless.’

So, you see my friend, the trials and the difficult times that we face are not designed to kill us.  On Sunday, my Pastor, Pastor Al Ray said, “God does not do things to us.  He does things for us.”  God is working in our lives to make us more like Jesus Christ.  His intent is to refine us and purify us.  It is difficult to allow this to happen as it is a painful process.  If we will allow Him to do His purifying work in us then one day we will be a fine vessel that He can use for His glory.

So, how are you doing?

 

Open The Eyes Of My Heart LORD

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I watched a You Tube video with a friend the other night of a ten year old blind boy singing the song “Open The Eyes Of My Heart Lord”.  It was powerful to say the least.  You can watch the video by clicking here.

Many thoughts entered my mind.  I thought how I wished that God would loose the tongue of our son so that he could sing God’s praises like this young boy.  Tear scalding my cheeks I begged God for this.  It is such a powerful video.  Yet, the truth that I also saw was just as powerful.  That truth is?

Most of us are blind.  We don’t see God or if we do see Him we don’t want to see Him.  This is so sad.  When we read the Word of God we need to ask God to open our eyes to see what He is saying to us as we read.  As we go about our day we need to ask God to help us see the opportunities we have to share salvation with the people around us.  We need to ask God to open our eyes to see opportunities that we can be an extension of His out stretched hand.  “Open The Eyes Of My Heart Lord”!

Look at Psalm 119:18, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. ”  We need to see things as God sees them.

So, how are you doing?

Get Busy

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On Friday night 22FEB13 a story aired on the news of an 18 year old young man who was walking ten (10) miles one way to a job interview.  It is amazing in the day and age we live in that someone that age would walk anywhere.  This young man quit school a couple years ago to get a job to care for his younger siblings after the death of his mother.  Wow!  He does now have his G.E.D.  He was cutting through a parking lot of a Cajun restaurant when the owner spoke to him.  He asked the man how far it was to where he was going.  The man told him that it was six (6) or seven (7) miles.  The teen kept walking.  Some time later the restaurant owner left to run some errands and the teen was still walking toward his destination in the ice storm we had.  The man picked him up and took him where he needed to go.  He told the teen if this did not work out for him to come to his restaurant and he would have a job in the kitchen.  Wow!

This teenager had a better work ethic than a large part of the Church.  We dress up and go to services and look like a Christian; but, when was the last time it cost us to share the Gospel with someone.  That is too long.  Christian friend, we need to get to the business that God has called us to.  No matter what you calling may be you and I need to get going on it, now.

Jesus said in Mark 10:21, “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.”

So, how are you doing?

Marks

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The other night my wife was baking brownies and cookies for me to take to the mission when I preach.  We love this opportunity for service.  She always makes brownies, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies and a third kind of cookies.  The men in the shelter love the homemade goodies.  They are such a blessing.

The reason that this comes to mind is because when she made the peanut butter cookies she called our son into the kitchen.  He went running in there with no outbursts or anger.  She gave him a fork and he mashed down the cookies with the fork as you are supposed to do.  Then she turned the cookies forty-five degrees and he began to mash them all again with no frustration at all.  However, instead of being a basket weave pattern it became more of an arrowhead pattern.  This is outstanding!  It is a huge accomplishment for him.  We praise God for these little victories as they make the tough days just a tiny bit easier to struggle through.

As I thought about our son and his accomplishments, I began to realize that as he marked the peanut butter cookies; so, he is marked.  I do not mean this to sound mean or demeaning; but, God has marked him.  He is one of God’s special creations.  God knew before the foundation of the world that our son would be one of those who live the life of autism.  Unfortunately, people do not always see this about people like our son.  It is sad.  They are seen as weird or crazy and even worse they are seen as some kind of monsters.  I pity the fool that thinks this way!

Look at Galatians 6:17, “From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.”  So, friend, what are your marks?

So, how are you doing?

Post tenebras lux – Light after darkness

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I received an e-mail a couple days ago from my dear friend Pastor Jim Kilgore.  He pointed me to blog site of a mother of a child who is trapped in the lifestyle of autism.  You can see it here.  Please understand that I do not know this mother and so I cannot say that I endorse her; but, the reality is what she says strikes a note with us.

The premise of her blog is this:  Post tenebras lux is a Latin phrase translated as Light After Darkness. This Latin phrase is taken from Job 17:12, “They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness.”  This is what she is writing about.  Unfortunately, we know all too well what she is writing about.

How do you get through the dark days?  Just like the title implies, you remember the “Light” that scatters darkness.  When your child has a “bad day” you have to remember the good days.  You must remember that it is the autism causing the child’s behavior.  It is; in some cases, not the child just being defiant or deviant.  It is the lifestyle that the child is locked inside of causing their behavior.

I am not saying live in the past.  This is unrealistic.  What I am saying is draw strength from the past victories.  Remember where Jesus has walked through life with you and carried you and there is only one set of footprints visible.  Look up words in God’s Word like “remember” or “consider” and the like.  Encourage yourself in the Lord Jesus Christ.  He wants you to lean on Him.  Run to the LORD!

So, how are you doing?

 

 

I’ve Never Been Out Of His Care

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My wife sings a song written by Dallas Holm titled, “I’ve Never Been Out Of His Care”.  I love this song.  The truth contained in this song is much like yesterday’s post.  Let’s look at Genesis 16:13, “And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?”

Since God is all knowing, all powerful, all present and all His other attributes then we can rest assured in the truth of this verse of Scripture.  God is in no way like people today who simply look the other way and keep walking by as we suffer.  God has given us the Holy Spirit who is called our “Comforter”.  No matter how deep it hurts there is One called the Comforter who will come along side and be there for us in our darkest hour.

The truth contained in this song has sustained my family and I through the many valleys and dark nights we have seen.  I know that if you will embrace the Saviour spoken of in this song you too can have peace in the storms of life.  Will you trust Him today?  I pray that you will.

So, how are you doing?

Below are the words to the song “I’ve Never Been Out Of His Care” and here is a link to Michael Boot singing the song. (click on the word “song”)

The eyes of God are upon me,
He sees everything I do.
The arms of God are around me,
They keep me safe and secure.

And He knows where I am
Every hour of every day
He knows each thought I think
He knows each word that I might say.
And although there’ve been times
I’ve been out of His will
I’ve never been out of His care.

This changing world alarms me,
With war, with sin, with strife.
But my loving Father charms me,
With joy, with peace, and with life.

And He knows where I am
Every hour of every day
He knows each though I think
He knows each word that I might say.
And although there’ve been times
I’ve been out of His will
I’ve never been out of His care.
I’ve never been out of His care.

The Eyes Of God

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A young boy was sitting in Sunday School while the teacher was explaining that God is everywhere and sees everything.  She stressed that even when we are bad little boys and girls that God is right there watching us all.  She even shared with the class the Scripture Genesis 16:13, “And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?”

One of the students went home and shared what he had learned that day in Sunday School.  The mother calmed the boys fears by telling him, “Sweetheart, just remember that God loves you so much that He cannot take His eyes off of you.”  This mother had a great perspective on this.

Far too many people see God as the Judge and He is; but, He is a loving Father too.  He delights in His children.  I have to think that He watches us and when we do right His heart swells with a fatherly pride.  When we do bad, I know His heart breaks.  If we would but remember that God is watching us not as Judge, waiting to crush us with His fist; but, as a loving Father waiting to love us and pick us up when we fall.

So, how are you doing?

It’s Darker Than It Has Ever Been Before

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Just before leaving the funeral home where his wife was celebrated, a man was asked if he would like for another family member to take his young daughter with them so he could have time to grieve.  The father responded, “No, we will go through this together.”

That night as the father was going to bed his daughter called to him and asked if she could sleep in his bed with him.  He readily agreed.  When the lights went out the daughter asked the father, “Daddy is your face turned toward me?”  The father assured his little girl that his face was turned toward her.  The little girl said, “Okay, I can go to sleep now.”

When the little girl had fallen asleep the father slid out of bed and on to his knees at the bedside and prayed.  He said, “Father, is your face turned toward me?”  God the Father spoke to this man in the depths of his heart and said, “Son, my face is turned toward you.”  This father replied, “Then I can go to sleep now.”

Dear friend, I don’t know what you are going through; but, rest assured that you have God’s undivided attention and that His face is turned toward you.  He loves you so very much that He cannot take His eyes off of you.  Remember the truth of Psalm 30:5, “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”  Hold on my dear friend, joy is coming in the morning.

So, how are you doing?