Saturday's cartoon

Have you noticed?

Have you noticed that most of life is just a bit boring?  Days come, days go and we work, we sleep, we do the same things day after day.  To be honest most of life is pretty boring.

Have you noticed that storms only come once in a while? They aren't the norm in any life.  We live rather repetitive boring lives with an occasional storm that seems to overwhelm us for a time, but they don't last.

Have you noticed we hate the boring normal, but we hate the storms even more?  And yet, it's the storms that create the stories of our lives.  Storms are the events of life that make us grow!  

Have you noticed that after you have been through a few storms they don't scare you so much as they did at first?  In the storm there is fear, but it's in the storm that our faith grows as well.  We come through the storm stronger than when we entered it.

Have you noticed that people who haven't suffered many storms in their lives are honestly a little boring, a little dull.  They haven't had to grow, to fear, to trust....all the things that happen to us in storms.

Have you noticed that the normal boring of life doesn't change us much, but the storms always do?  The storm that we feared would destroy us actually has made us stronger!

Have you noticed that God allows storms because he loves us?

^{James 1:2} Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.³ For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ⁴ So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Quote of the day

"God used beautiful mathematics in creating the world." -Paul Dirac

Come to me

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  -Jesus

These verses from Matthew have encouraged Christians for centuries.  They have been comfort, help, and direction for many.  I have heard these verses taught by many pastors and teachers, each with the encouragement of the promise Jesus makes in his offer.

Might I narrow my focus a bit?  Could I talk about just three words in this passage?  The words that have captivated me this morning are these, "Come to ME".  "Come to me" is an invitation to a relationship, an invitation to a person, to a conversation.

For me to even consider such an invitation I must know that the one offering the invitation cares about me, is interested in me and is safe.  And I need to know this person is available....

As I focus my attention on these three words I find them blooming and beginning to produce fruit.  Come to me....for a person living more than 2,000 years after these words were spoken I have to know that his offer is still available, that he's still available.  I also have to know how to approach him, how do I come to him?  How do I find him?

"Come to me" is the boldest and most personal invitation to relationship ever offered by anyone.  It puts the Christian faith in a completely different category from any other faith.  It makes this thing called Christianity all about relationship....a relationship with someone who, with just three words, has invited us all to know him, to talk to him, to share our lives with him.

There is another subtle nuance that must be mentioned....for me to come to him these 2,000 years later he must still be alive and able to welcome me.  He cannot be in the grave or his offer was just mean, cruel and the words of a liar; but if his words apply to me and you then he must be alive and still speaking these words to the generation I live in.

Come to me.  It's probably the grandest most loving invitation ever offered....for God in flesh, Jesus Christ, to say to me, "come to me...." and welcome me to a relationship, to his love, to acceptance, to his home and eternity ahead....why it's more glorious than I can even imagine.  Who could ever think of three words that would be more important than these?  

"Come to me" was and is an invitation by Jesus to every man.  An invitation into an intimate relationship with the God who made us.  No other religion, no other god has ever made such a wonderful offer, such an amazing invitation.  How could we possibly say no?

Photo of the day

It was a great day in Dallas today, a perfect day to be outside.  I was able to join friends for a photo walk in Grapevine.  Here's one of my photos from the walk.  

Saturday's cartoon

Walking in darkness

It was nearly 40 years ago.  My first apartment after college.  I was pastor of evangelism at a growing church and just starting in ministry.  They were fun and exciting days.  My monthly salary was $364.00.  There wasn't much left at the end of the month, but it was never boring!

One of my new neighbors was about my age.  I don't remember what he did for a living...I don't even remember his name, but I do remember he was blind.  

One evening he invited me over for dinner.  I was glad for new friendships and looked forward to the visit.  His apartment was a mirror of mine, but much more basic in decor.  There were no pictures on the walls. I realized that pictures were useless to him.  Who needs pictures when you can't see them?  Furniture was very basic as well.  Any extra clutter just got in the way, something to trip over.  Decor was an unknown concept to my friend. I guess if you can't see it, it doesn't matter.

We had a great visit and the dinner was really good, but I soon realized something....it was getting dark outside and so it was inside as well.  My friend had no need of pictures on the walls, but soon I realized he had no need of lights either.  Gradually the darkness of the night outside settled into his apartment as well.

I didn't want to be rude, so I said nothing and tried my best to find my food on the plate and not sound strange as we visited in the dark.  It was normal for him. It was a memorable experience for me.  My friend never bothered with lights, so I'm sure it never came to his mind that I might need them. 

If all you know is darkness it's normal.  My friend had never seen, never known the experience of seeing, of color, of sunsets, of a baby smiling, the movement of the trees as the wind blows.  He didn't know what he was missing.  How could he? 

But once you know light, once you have really seen what's around you, life is never the same again. 

God uses the imagery of light and dark to contrast his kingdom with the world as it is...a world of darkness.  There couldn't be a more dramatic contrast.  All around us are people living in the light and people living in the dark.  Those who walk in the darkness have no idea what they are missing.  They don't worry about lights, about pictures on the walls, about a beautiful sunset, they don't even know.

People of the light are keenly aware of the difference between light and dark.  They see and enjoy it all. 

God's desire is to give sight and light to every man, to heal every blind eye, to illuminate every soul. God's desire is for everyone to come to the light, to see...  

"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." -Jesus

William Cowper

My wife shared a story with me this week about the friendship between the great hymn writer, John Newton and his friend, William Cowper.  William was an equally great poet, hymn writer and Christian, but I had never read his story before.  

William also struggled with depression that plagued him his entire life. The dark cloud of depression never left for William.  For some reason, although he knew the truth of God's word, he thought his situation was different, that he was under God's judgment.  He wasn't able to escape the darkness.

We all struggle with the storms of life, but most of us have days of calm, times when the sun is shining and we enjoy its warmth.  There are others, like William, who never see the sun, even on a clear day, but live with the constant and heavy weight of depression.

There are a host of scriptures that deal with this, but the passages that have helped me when darkness sets in are the words of David in Psalms.  I think, like Cowper, David struggled with depression, discouragement and times when he thought life was over.  I think we all have those struggles and to help us God included David's journals in the bible.  We call it the book of Psalms.  They are rich with the cries of a man depressed.  They ring with joy at times of happiness.  David was a man after God's own heart, he wanted to know God and sought him, but he also struggled and voiced it.  I'm so glad God heard David's voice and shared his words with us.

Men like David and William Cowper encourage me with the knowledge that God knows and cares.  Even in the dark hours, the times of grief and depression God is there to comfort and help us. He is our hope, our refuge, our fortress. 

The plunge

Photo by Egor

I have no words....just a slight shiver.

Falling plates

Saturday's cartoon

In case you wondered...

Have you noticed?  The world hasn't ended yet.  In spite of all we have tried to do to each other, to the planet, to our unborn babies we are still here.  That's the grace and mercy of God you are seeing.  Peter wrote about it when he said,

"The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to be saved."   2 Peter 3

He's waiting for all of us to seek him, to know him, to find salvation.  Some ask me, "if God's so loving why does he send so many people to hell?"  My answer is really quite simple...he's not! He's doing everything he can to keep us out of that terrible place of judgment.  

In this time of grace God is reaching out to everyone and extending an invitation to life!  It's free, it's eternal....and he's waiting for those who haven't trusted him yet.  Do you know that?  Have you told those around you?  

The end hasn't come because God is merciful and gracious....but one day this time of grace will end.  Don't miss the offer of life that God has extended to everyone!

Don't worry....

My wife posted this verse from Matthew 6 on Facebook this morning (it's one of her favorites),

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." –Jesus (from Matthew 6)

It’s convicting each time I read it.  I’m always amazed how quickly and easily I fall into worry and fear.  We all do it….as if we could really change something or fix it by worrying…what silly little creatures we are. 

Jesus sums up his sermon on worry with the words I quoted. The reason he could invite us to this strange place of trust is because of, 1. the power of God to meet our needs and, 2. the love of God that moves him to do so.  

The conclusions Jesus makes have foundations in the very heart and nature of God himself.  If, like so many today, he simply said, “Don’t worry” but gave us no reason not to we would all smile and dismiss him.  But Jesus based his invitation on God himself.  Don’t worry. God loves you and he is able to address and meet your needs.  He is a big God!  Enjoy your day.

Monday's cartoon....a day late

Martin Luther King Jr. day

Today we remember a great man in our recent history.  He had weaknesses, as we all do, but he made a difference.  Today I leave you with his quote above.  A great way to remember him and start the week.