Donald Miller, Jesus and our culture

I love this video!  It's brief, but in it Donald Miller deals with Jesus and the conflict he presents for us in our consumer driven culture.

A note from a mentor

A dear old saint and mentor of mine for more than 40 years wrote a note to me in response to a question I had.  Here is part of his note. I hope his words encourage you in your new day,

"I've learned two fundamental truths in 79 years:  life is difficult and God is adequate--but it's painful anyway and yet God more than compensates for the pain.  A marvelous verse that has helped me a lot is Psalm 94:19 (KJV)   'In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.'  The long perspective gets us through as the Lord renews us day by day--and we only need sustenance for one day at a time."

Quiet time

I think our culture needs a time out....a quiet time out.  This morning, EARLY this morning, I'm reading,  praying, thinking...and in my ears is noise all around.  

The neighbors next door fighting, 

the neighbors behind me hollering at their kids, 

dogs barking in response, 

airplanes flying overhead,

will you all please be quiet!

Silence is something our world does not like.  We are a world of noise...noise 24/7.  Noise to keep the silence away.  There are few places where we can go to find a place without the noise of our world....because in the silence we have to deal with ourselves, we have to deal with God, we have to deal with the things we have done and so we turn up the noise.

It's interesting that in the bible quietness and peace with God are spoken of together.  Noise and sin are partners as well.  It seems that quiet is the posture of peace, of a right relationship with God...it's comfortable when peace with God is a reality.  But when we haven't resolved our relationship with God, when there is no peace with God we keep the volume turned up so we don't have to deal with him.

Isaiah wrote, "The Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.”"

In Psalms God said to David, "Hush, be quiet and know that I am God."

As I listen to the noise all around me, volumes increasing as the sun rises, I am thankful for the peace, the quiet of a relationship with God that gives me calm in the storm of noise swirling all around.  

Living right sized

May God be big and may I be small.  

Oh to be nothing so he might be everything!

In a world looking for fame and success I pray I find none of it, but that God might be big because I was small.  

It's only when I'm nothing that he can be everything....it's only when I seek his glory instead of my own that people around me see God right sized.

"He must increase, but I must decrease." -John the Baptist

Who's in charge?

“I kept looking
Until thrones were set up,
And the Ancient of Days took His seat;

....And behold, with the clouds of heaven

One like a Son of Man was coming,

And He came up to the Ancient of Days

And was presented before Him.

“And to Him was given dominion,

Glory and a kingdom,

That all the peoples, nations and men of every language

Might serve Him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

Which will not pass away;

And His kingdom is one

Which will not be destroyed."  -Daniel 7

I often go to this passage and one in Revelation to refocus the events of the world I see.  It's difficult, in the midst of the news all around, to have a sense of center, an awareness of someone who is ruling the events of man in spite of what I see.  If all I saw was the world around me I would be in panic mode most of the time.  But I know that there is a God in heaven, seated on the throne and that he has given dominion, glory and a kingdom to the one we know as Jesus.  Knowing that calms my fears,  focuses my vision and helps me as I live my days.

Who's in charge?  God is.  And  for that I am most thankful.

What's your view of "church"

These terms and concepts are hot discussion issues in churches today.  How would you view "church"?  Which best describes your church?

Verse of the day

 ^"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"  -Jesus

Welcome to our world!

Good news

Good News: The foundation of our faith is not a story in a book but an event in history.  -Andy Stanley

Sad news day

What has my attention today is the news....news of murder, war, sexual abuse.  None of it is new, none is surprising, but I am really tired of it!  

I look forward to the day, and it is coming, when sin, death, sorrow, tears, war and violence will be a forgotten memory.  There will be a day when God redeems the creation we have destroyed.  More and more, as I read the news and am saddened by what I see, I look forward to that day.  The day when all is made right, when Jesus is Lord of all.

Some say that day will never happen.  Many can't imagine a world without all we live with, but it's coming....it's near....soon the idea of death, of war, of violence or sexual abuse will be as foreign to us as the absence of it seems right now.  I long for that day when all will be made right.  I long for the day when there will be no more sad news days.

The trick....

Family!

I love family!  Here is a photo of our daughter and her sweet kids....except for one....the one on the right.  He jumped into the photo because he's family!  (He's our son's little boy)  But since it was a family shot he knew he belonged.  I love it!

Saturday's cartoon

Quote of the day

A.W. Tozer: "A spiritual kingdom lies all about us, enclosing us, embracing us, altogether within reach of our inner selves, waiting for us to recognize it. God Himself is here waiting our response to His Presence. This eternal world will come alive to us the moment we begin to reckon upon its reality."

There is a lad.....

There is a story in John that captures my imagination.  Here it is, in my own words, with actual scripture in italics,

"Mom, can I go hear Jesus today?  I heard he was going to be in the hill country.  I got all my chores done. Can I?"  Mom: "Yes, Mark, but take some bread and fish so  you'll have lunch, ok?"  Mark: "Ok Mom, thanks!  See you at dinner."  And off he goes, a young man seeking God, with his lunch in his backpack. 

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there).  Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.”  So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

Mark was glad to give his lunch to Jesus if it would help feed others, but he never imagined what happened next!  Jesus prayed over the food and then it began to multiply!  It fed everyone and when they gathered the leftovers they gave Mark 12 baskets full of food to take home.  He couldn't believe it!  It changed everything for Mark!  Now, he not only had the words of Jesus as he taught, but he had a new faith he never could have gotten on his own and he had groceries for the week!

Often, in our lives, we think our little gifts to God don't amount to much.  An hour here to help someone, a few dollars there to buy a meal for another, a smile for someone discouraged, an ear to listen to someone hurting, a prayer for someone else in need.  It never seems like much, but watch as Jesus takes small things and makes them big!  

"What is that among so many?"  Those were the words of Jesus' own disciples.  They couldn't imagine what he could do with so little either, but their faith grew as well.  It changed their view of small things.  It made God big and isn't that what we need most?  Isn't our lack of faith simply a revelation of our small god?

What is that among so many?  

It's always more than you could ever imagine when you give it to God.  He's the master of making great blessings from small gifts. He is a big God!