Today's Devotional Thought

Passage: John 12
Notes: Worshipping Jesus is not the time to be scrappy, but an opportunity to go all out. While we are called to be stewards, offerings to God, and love for another (even another human?) can be extravagant (God won't run out of resources because we loved too much).
My life is to be an offering to God, to the point that I 'lose out' on life, or even give my life altogether. However, I must be careful to notice where God is working and join in His work. Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is needed more than strategic planning. Note also, though, that in this same chapter Jesus condoned expressing extravagant love. Losing my life for Him must then not equal a rejection of my family, and failure to care for them, or perpetual unwillingness to spend any resources on them. Our God is not a pauper who will starve but for our resources. Yet, that I would be sure not to love my life too much to lose it.
Do I love the approval of men more than the approval of God?

Today's Devotional Thought

Passage: Ephesians 3
Notes: Knowing Christ is a gift we receive through His Spirit whom He has given to us according to the riches of His grace. There is no ability or supply shortage - He provides both. Let's ask Him with faith to let us know Him in his fullness.

Today's Devotional Thought

Passage: Ephesians 1
Notes: Truth - we are the recipients of EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING! (3)
Command - we were chosen to be HOLY and BLAMELESS before God. (4)
Truth - we exist (live) for the praise of the glory of his grace. (6) -> how then shall we live to fulfill this charge? That's why He gave us the Holy Spirit! (13-14)
Truth - Wisdom and revelation of the knowledge of God come in response to prayer - even intercession from others (Paul). (17) -> what an important charge to us!
Lord, please help me to faithfully fulfill my mission of living in such a manner that you will receive praise, and interceding for others (and myself) that they may increase in the knowledge of you - and give praise for their love for you!

Today's Devotional Thought

Passage: Jeremiah 41
Notes: The 80 men from Shilo and Samaria comprehended that it didn't take a building for them to be able to worship in Jerusalem. The carnage and destruction of the Babylonian attack produced fear and disorder, but not a searching for God in many of the remnant in Judah. God did not supernaturally stop the evil, looting, and piracy - the mass murderer escapes with most of his men. -> tragedy will not automatically produce a turning to God among a people that had abandoned Him, and God may not force Himself on them, but allow the evil to pursue their desires, which may also hurt some who do want to return to God.

Why I Am Not Giving Up Facebook for Lent

As a minister, I'm in the people/relationships business. It may not be all I do, but it is a major part. Facebook is one of four major communications platforms for me (face-to-face, phone, and e-mail being the others). If I'm going to be salt and light, shutting off communication is not going to be my first step.

Discipleship in Community

If we learn from one another, and God speaks to us through other believers, what if the service involved tables and food, and we'd have a short sermon, half an hour of food and conversation at the tables, and then a wrap-up of some sort, maybe even with people reporting back from the tables? It might even make prayer easier.

In His Law He Meditates Day and Night

How do we go about "meditating in His law day and night" (Psalm 1:2)? Well, there's a new tool out there that may help. Logos has put up six twitter feeds, where you can have scripture sent to you on various schedules. Sounds interesting - if you use twitter, that is.

Thank You

Thank you, Lord, for the rain on Saturday. It was just what we needed.

(Having a garden to care for gives you a different perspective on some things.)

Easter in a Nutshell

Dear Jesus,
Thank You!

Marquee of New Hope Church, Oklahoma City

Prayer on Being Made Redundant

The Church of England has published a well-put prayer for those who have been laid off. Hope none of you has occasion to pray it - maybe the only time I'll ever say, "I hope you don't pray (this prayer)."

John 15:8

The point is not that it doesn't matter what fruit you produce.
The point is that unless you produce fruit, nothing else matters.

Sunday - Day of Rest or Day of the Lord?

“If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and honor it, desisting from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure and speaking your own word,

Then you will take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Isaiah 58:13-14 NASB

We've thought of Sunday as "Day of Rest," and gradually, it has become a day to sleep, or quietly enjoy ourselves. While "the Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27), it is also characterized as "The Day of the Lord." It's not a day to focus on our hobbies, slouch on the sofa watching TV, or have planning meetings for ministry (did I just say that?), but a day to delight in the Lord.

Food for thought.

What is God Like?

[Y]ou shall know [with an acquaintance and understanding based on and grounded in personal experience] that I am the Lord; for they shall not be put to shame who wait for, look for, hope for, and expect Me.

[A]ll flesh will know [with a knowledge grounded in personal experience] that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer.

Isaiah 49:23, 26 (AMP)

What is God like?

He delivers those who trust in Him.

He saves out of deepest trouble.

What is God Like?

Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people And will have compassion on His afflicted.

Isaiah 49:13 (NASB)


Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering.

Isaiah 49:13 (NLT)

What is God like?

He comforts.

He has compassion.

His actions fill us with overflowing joy.

Children Who are Mighty in Spirit

As I was in prayer today, I brought our children and our friends' children yet again before God, asking Him that they would become His children as soon as possible, and live their lives for His purposes. I am more than ever convinced that nothing could be more important for them. My study of 1 John has confirmed that the difference between succeeding in life is whether or not the Holy Spirit is guiding and enabling us. Without His power, all the best training is useless (= will not be used) because in our own strength we are unable. Then, the following verses struck me:

For I will pour out water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring and My blessing on your descendants; and they will spring up among the grass like poplars by streams of water.

Isaiah 44:3-4

As I looked up poplars in Merriam-Webster, they pointed out that a defining characteristic of poplars is that they grow up quickly. May that be the case for our children!

What a wonderful promise to claim: "I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring."

See Me in Tulsa October 23rd

I think I'll be in Tulsa, OK on October 23rd.

Worry Warts

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow.

Certainly an interesting quote, though most people who tend to worry may shrug their shoulders - and keep on worrying. What gets me is who said it. When we worry, we may be concerned how long the car will keep on running, or how we're going to "get it all done," or whether our job will be safe for the foreseeable future - and also many smaller things. The person who originated the quote above would have had reason to worry, yet she is essentially saying, "Don't bother worrying. It's no use." 'Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow' was coined by Corrie Ten Boom.

Most likely, the reason she could say this is because she believed what her sister Betsie told her shortly before she died in Ravensbrück concentration camp: "There is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still."

The Progress of the Lord's Kingdom

When we calmly reflect upon the fact that the progress of our Lord's Kingdom is dependent upon prayer, it is sad to think that we give so little time to the holy exercise. Everything depends upon prayer, and yet we neglect it not only to our own spiritual hurt, but also to the delay and injury of our Lord's cause upon earth.

E. M. Bounds

Birding

I spent some time watching a bird in our backyard just now. We have many pretty birds, including blue jays and cardinals, among others (they appear amazingly beautiful if you grew up where I did - virtually none of our birds had any color). Anyhow, I saw a bird I hadn't seen before (though I suppose I really should have): a Gila Woodpecker. They have a beautiful red cap, and this one (a male) had a deep black chest (OK, maybe all the males do). Trying to find out what it was, I ran across the Birds of Oklahoma web site. They have photographs of lots of native birds, making it easier to identify them if you're ignorant like me. Used to be, you'd have to buy a book for this, and now it's just "out there on the Internet." It's a great time to be alive.

Oh, yeah, I better be careful about doing too much birding. If I watch them too often, I'll want this.