The Truth

One of the most misquoted and misused verses in all of Scripture is Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  Well meaning people throw it out there to hurting people like buckets of water on a house fire.  It is the Truth!

Here is the thing.  It is in how you use this Truth.  You can deeply hurt someone with Truth.  Whether you mean it or not, it can happen.  I know from cruel experiences myself.  Unfortunately, as a young preacher I have done exactly what I am warning you against in this writing.

Just because it is the Truth does not give us license to swing it around and throw it at people like the Sword it is.  Yes, all things do work together for good (all things are not good) to those who love God and are the called according to His purpose.  I know the Johnson family is hurting deeply at the loss of their son Morgan.  It is good for him because he has been in the presence of his Saviour for two years now.  Glory to God.

What about you?  Are you prepared to step out into eternity?  I hope so.

So, how are you doing?

Plans

Yesterday I sat and watched the news.  The reason I was watching so intently was because it appeared that a two year old missing persons case was being solved.  The report came back and it was in fact solved.

You see, two years and two months ago a young man disappeared from the central Indiana area.  You might be thinking, “So what.”  Well, Morgan Johnson was the son of a dear man.  This man is so dear to me that his signature is on my ordination certificate.  Carl Johnson and his family have endured hell on earth as they prayed with hope and expectation that Morgan Johnson would come home safe and sound.  This was not to be.  I know that I prayed that God would direct someone to find Morgan Johnson whether he had passed away or was still alive.

By his testimony and Christian service Morgan’s family can rejoice when he went missing two years and two months ago that he reported to Heaven.  What comfort and hope this gives.  Something else that comforts is the words of Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. ”  Did you see that?  We have an “expected end”.  Those tragic events that struck the Johnson family was no surprise to God.  He knew the plans beginning from the end and every tiny detail in between.  Thank You God for answering our prayers and giving closure to this dear family.

See you at the House Morgan!

So, how are you doing?

The Potter And The Clay

Who has not been in Church where the invitation hymn was “Have Thine Own Way Lord”.  Here is a bit of information I found on the song.

“In 1902, Adelaide A. Pollard, a hymn writer, was hoping to go to Africa as a missionary but found herself unable to raise the needed funds to make the journey. Greatly discouraged, she attended a prayer service one evening and as she sat there, she overheard an elderly woman say “It really doesn’t matter what you do with us, Lord, just have your own way with our lives.” The elderly woman inspired Pollard and she contemplated the story of the potter from Jeremiah 18:3 and, upon her return home that evening, wrote all four stanzas before retiring for the night.  Five years later George Stebbins wrote a tune titled “Adelaide” to accompany the text.”  Found on Wikipedia.

If you think about clay you can glean some things.  The clay yields to the potter.  This is exactly how we need to be in the hands of God the Father.  We need to yield to the molding.  If we do not then water will be added.  I know I have felt like things were flooding in on me just like you have.  Then there is the added pressure of the potter as he applies more pressure with his thumbs.  He presses down in the middle to make what will be the place that holds water.  We don’t like the added pressure because it hurts.  It is this pain that grows us to be more like Jesus.  It matures us in our faith.  It is unpleasant; but, one day we will stand before God and it will have been worth it all.

Look at Jeremiah 18:3-4, ” Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.”

So, how are you doing?

Searching For Fulifllment

Our son seems to love to watch the “extras” on DVD’s.  This can be very informative.  You should watch the extras on the movie “Facing The Giants”.  I am not kidding.  There is some deep stuff there especially in the death crawl scene.  Lately he has been focused on the Veggie Tales “Madame Blueberry”.

In these extras Phil Vischer tells how Mike Nawroki read a book titled “Madame Bovary” and it inspired the show.  Then Joe Sapulich saw a woman who just could not stop buying to make herself happy.  He asked her if he could sketch her.  She became “Madame Blueberry”.

This very blue berry buys and buys but never finds fulfillment in the buying.  She is a picture of today’s society.  This is a great example of Psalm 106:15, “And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.”  People have everything as far as material possessions; but, they lack a relationship with Jesus Christ.  This leaves them with that “leanness” in their soul.  If they would simply trust Jesus Christ as their Saviour then that “leanness” would go away.

So, how are you doing?

Who Has The Reins?

If you are going through your entire life and you do not experience trials then please send me your formula for living.  Trials are a part of life; but, our response to these trials are optional.  Nobody likes to experience trials.  They hurt, are unpleasant and lonely among an entire host of other adjectives.

We don’t like to walk alone in the dark.  I love the description and help given in Psalm 16:7, “I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.” This verse reassures us that when it is too dark to see that God will direct us.  How does He do that?  He uses our “reins”.  This is our mind (our interior self).  What the writer is telling us is that when the Holy Spirit lives in us God speaks to us and guides us like the reins used to steer a horse.

I have owned a horse in my earlier years and I have had the pleasure of riding many horses.  I know what it is like to be guided by the reins and to guide by the reins.  It can be painful for the disobedient animal.

It is the same for you and I.  Things go smoother if we just yield ourselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

So, how are you doing?

I Love To Laugh

I received a text from my wife the other day.  In the text was a picture of our son.  This is nothing out of the ordinary.  In this picture she told him to pose for me so he did.  He posed drinking my chocolate drink out of the refridgerator.  We had a good laugh about that.

Sometimes life gets to be such a burden that we think we cannot laugh.  Yet, sometimes that is just what we need to do.  We need to take life seriously; but, not too seriously.  We need to laugh.  Sometimes it is the best medicine.  Look at Proverbs 15:8, “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”

If life has you down and is seemingly beating you in the face try with all of your might to find something to laugh at.  It does help.  If you need some comic relief just drop me a note and I can share some true life experiences with you that will make you think your life is not all that bad.

So, how are you doing?

Hearing Aides

I remember my Uncle Bill sitting in his recliner in the living room and next to him sitting in my Aunt’s recliner was his friend Mel.  They had been friends for many years.  The funny thing was that both men were very hard of hearing.  They would sit for periods of time and neither one would say a word.  Then suddenly both me would be talking to the other at the same time.  This usually took place very loudly.  Anyone who was in the house could not do anything but laugh.  It was very funny.  Both men had hearing aides; but, they did not seem to be very helpful.

I began to think how people today are just like Bill and Mel.  We have electronic devices of all descriptions; but, we don’t hear.  In the familiar passage of Luke 16 we see a rich man that died and went to hell.  Now that he is in hell he is concerned for his family members and begs Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to witness to his family.  We see Abraham’s response in Luke 16:31, “And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”

Today men’s hearts are so hard that they would not hear though One rose from the dead.  Jesus died, was buried and the third day rose from the grave.  People refuse to hear and believe this.  It does not change the fact that if they die they will go to hell.  Only trusting Jesus as your Saviour will change this.  Have you trusted Him as your Saviour?  I hope you have heard Him call you and responded in the affirmative.

So, how are you dong?

Come On

Yesterday afternoon Tara and I laughed hard like we have not laughed in a long time.  Our son Jonathan has been pretty sick for a couple days with fever and vomiting.   He has been laying in bed almost continually.  Tara was fixing him a piece of toast so that he would have something on his stomach to take medicine with.  Jonathan came into the kitchen and watched her.  When she finished he left the kitchen and walked to his room.  Halfway through the living room he motioned to his mother from his side to come on.  He looked like he was scooping air in his hand and motioned from the direction of the kitchen to the direction of his room.  We lost it laughing and yes, a few tears fell.  When she got to his room he was sitting on his bed like he had been waiting all afternoon for her.

As I thought about this I was reminded about an incident that took place on the sea of Galilee.  Peter was in the boat and Jesus walking on the water.  Pick up this life changing event in Matthew 14:28, “And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.”

Jesus is bidding each and everyone of us who are His child to; as the songwriter penned, “Get out of the boat and start walking on the water.”  We would rather sit, soak and sour wherever we are at than to leave our comfort zone and see God do the miraculous through us.  It is time to “Come on!”

So, how are you doing?

I Am Not Going Back

The other evening I was attending a meeting and someone had something very embarassing happen to them.  My mind immediately went back a couple years ago when I went to a local mom and pop watering hole.  As I left I ran into a table where a man was having lunch. The table rocked and all the condiments fell over.  He cursed and I just walked out in embarasment.  I decided to not go back to this place.  That is too bad because they have excellent deep fried culliflower.

As I was thinking about these unfortunate situations I was reminded of Psalms 55:6, “And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.”  I know that I wanted to “fly away” at that second.  Yes, after all this time I have not returned.  Sometimes, you have to just swallow your pride and go back.  Since I have not found another place to get deep fried culliflower I will either go without it or I will have an appetizer of “crow” before I return.

Don’t let some event like this keep you from serving Jesus Christ.  Don’t let it keep you from going back to Church.  An appetizer is one thing; but, ministry or Church attendance is a whole different ballgame.

So, how are you doing?

Greater Love

The other day my wife was playing our Nintendo Wii.  Our son likes to sit on the couch and watch.  If you do not play when he wants you to play he will dangle a controller by the strap in front of you until you play.  It is really funny.

The controller batteries were low and almost out of power.  My wife explained to our son that she needed to get new batteries.  He promptly took the batteries out of his TV remote  and gave them to her and took her batteries and put them back in his remote.  This was a huge display of love for her and we shed a few tears over it.  Wow!

Take a look at John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”  When was the last time you lay down your life for someone  else?  Sometimes it is the simple things that show love.  It could be a word of encouragement.  Maybe just smiling at someone will change their whole day.  It is usually the simple things in life that make the biggest impact on others.

So, how are you doing?