Happy Thanksgiving!

Hard hearts and stiff necks

There are two things I see in scripture that cause us problems- hard hearts and stiff necks.

Hard hearts describe people who are insensitive to God's voice and untouched by his work in their lives. They simply don't see or sense him, his voice, or his conviction.

Stiff necks describe people who are, even knowing what God wants from them, unwilling to change directions, unwilling to repent. They have set their course and will not "turn their necks," change their minds or direction.

I'm thinking about this because I'm reading a passage, studying a portion of scripture where I see the disciples witnessing some of the most amazing miracles of all history and seems untouched, unaffected by them. They had hardened their hearts. They had become insensitive to God's amazing work in their midst.

I wonder....I wonder how hard my heart is. I wonder what God is doing in my life, around me, speaking to me and I simply don't hear it, sense it, feel his presence. This is a dangerous place to be because we don't realize that a hardness has developed in our lives and our relationship with God. I wonder if my stiff neck, my unwillingness to change my course is made worse by my hard heart?

These are my challenges. These are your challenges. I pray that my heart will be soft to God, sensitive to his touch, responsive to his voice. I pray that I will not be so stubborn that I can't change, can't turn my neck to God's directions in my life. I'm thinking about this because 12 men who lived for three years in the very presence of God on earth struggled with it. I know I do to.

Lord, soften my heart, massage my stiff neck. Help me to respond quickly, to hear well your voice and respond to your leading in my life.

An explanation

I'm sorry for my absence. It's been quite crazy lately. I have much to talk about, but am trying to work through a number of issues right now. I will be back.....as soon as I can. Thanks for your patience.

Update....

God is amazing! His creation is beyond beautiful! That is all, enjoy your day in the creation of a wonderful artist and God.

What I'm reading

I just started a new book by Dave Hunt, "The Cosmos, Creation and Human Destiny." It's proving to not only be challenging, but also fascinating. If you or your children are interested in creation, evolution and how we got here this book will sure make you think. It might even change the way you view everything!

I'm only a few chapters in, but am really enjoying Dave's work. I'll keep you updated.

What's inside?

Some of the best wisdom comes in fortune cookies. Often the simple observations are the most profound. This is one of them. When you get "squeezed" what comes out? Pressure, stress, problems, and the "squeeze" of life will bring out what's inside.

So, when you get squeezed what comes out? It will tell you a lot about what's inside, what you have been putting into your life. Make sure you put good things in so when the squeeze comes the right things will come out.

Saturday's cartoon

Christian Cliches

Like many of you I am constantly hearing Christian cliches that have become common in the Christian world, but are simply not true. Over the next week I'm going to accumulate a list of cliches and talk about them. If you have a favorite or not so favorite cliche would you share it with me and we can discuss it together?

Here's one we will be talking about- "Hate the sin, but love the sinner."

This should be interesting. Thanks!

Veteran's Day

For all of you who have served in the military, Thank you.

Your sacrifice and service to our country is greatly appreciated by so many.

Thank you.

Quote of the day

"Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment." -Rita Mae Brown

61 years ago today

My parents sent this photo to me yesterday. In my failing memory this was the first time I had ever seen this picture. It's a picture of my parents (at the end of the table) hosting Christmas dinner in 1950. It's also my first Christmas dinner. If you can see it (and yes this is an old photo...dates me, doesn't it?) I'm the baby at the end of the table. Many of the people in the photo are gone, but this brief glimpse of life in 1950 is my first holiday.

They sent this photo to me because today is my birthday. I'm 61. It's painful to say that because I can't believe I'm that old! How did this happen so quickly? I can't be THAT old! But here I am. It passes so quickly. We finish with a flurry and admit it was all too short, too quick. I understand James' words as he writes in chapter 5 that we are just a vapor that appears for a moment and then is gone. In a small corner of this planet, for a brief number of years we will each live out our lives. It passes so quickly. I have no idea how many more years I have, but I want to use every moment well, for the Lord, to love people and enjoy life. I want to finish well. So today I'm going to pause, enjoy and reflect on the joys of life, family, friends and ministry.

Really?

I found the following blog title on another site very interesting,

"Atheists do not need to have all the answers"

It made me smile. My first thought, "Really? You claim to have all the answers." If this is new ground my atheist friend is giving up then maybe he needs to change his affiliation to agnostic. At least, not knowing everything, this would be a more honest description of his beliefs.

The claim of the atheist is this- there is no God. And with that declaration he has claimed absolute knowledge of all space, time, dimensions and history. It's an arrogant place to stand, a foolish one.

David wrote of these men when he said, "The fool has said in his heart there is no God." David considered such an arrogant man a fool which puts such a person far from omniscience. All of creation screams there is an intelligent designer, there is someone who made all this. To deny that is the height of arrogance and foolishness.

I'm glad my atheist friend has given up some territory in his admission he doesn't have all the answers. Maybe one day he will realize that in those answers he doesn't have is the God he doesn't want.

There are no aliens!

"The White House responded that there was "no evidence that any life exists outside our planet"."

–BBCNEWS.COM

I thought this interesting. With all we can know there is still so little we actually do know. It's humbling to know how little we know. For me this highlights the absurdity of the atheist who declares, "There is no god!" My question- how do you know that since you know so little? It's humbling to know we don't know and must trust one who does. For me it makes God necessary. Without him my universe makes no sense.

Trusting God

^{Ezra 8:21} Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. ²²For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, “The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him.” ²³ So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty.

Ezra was an amazing man. He was a priest descended from Aaron and he had a passion for God, his word and sharing it with others. I know I would have liked this guy, but he got himself in a situation where he had to live out what he had told the king. He had to trust God because he had told the king that God would watch over him. Now, facing the trip back to Jerusalem, he is keenly aware of both his statement to the king and the dangers that lay ahead. This trip would travel the major trade routes of the day. Along these routes were pirates and thieves waiting to steal from anyone who didn't have armed forces to protect them. It was a dangerous thing to travel in that day. Everyone knew that. But Ezra had told the king that God would watch over those who seek him so he had a decision- go back on his words about God or trust him.

Ezra decided that what he knew about God was too important to trust man, so they fasted, they prayed and off they went into the lion's den this journey would be. No army to protect them, no swords to defend them, just a faith in God. Because of their faith they arrived safely in Jerusalem with their treasures of gold and silver untouched by thieves.

I wonder what the bandits and thieves saw as this troop of Jewish travelers passed them on the road. Did they see an army? Did God hide them from the view of those waiting to pounce on them? I don't know, but what is known is that Ezra spoke of his trust in God and had to live that trust out in a very dangerous place. I love what Ezra did, he verbalized what he believed and that testimony was his benchmark for how he then had to live out the journey ahead. He was too embarrassed to go to the king and ask for troops to protect them because he said God would protect them.

What do I verbalize about God that then convicts me to live it out? Does my faith in him give words to my beliefs? Do I trust him enough to tell others what I believe and live it out? What a great example of a testimony lived out, to a faith walked through. This simple story challenges me to verbalize what I believe about God. Do I really trust God enough to talk about what I believe and then live it out even when its dangerous? I wonder.

Little things

This week is my birthday and I'm already getting birthday wishes on Facebook. I am a year away from being able to draw social security! How did this happen, I can't be that old? How does life pass by so quickly and suddenly we are in those last years? It's amazing, from this vantage point, to realize how quickly these few years pass. This morning it strikes me that the secret, at least for me, in living well is in the little things. Some might strive for wealth and fame, but I'm finding that the best parts of life and the grandest successes come in the little things. Let me give you a list and feel free to add your own to this short list of little things that make a difference,

A hot cup of coffee

Watching the sun rise

Quiet time to think

A dog to pet

A God I can talk to

Time to read his word

People to love

Good food

Hope

A laugh

A cup of cold water

Friends

People to pray for

Grandchildren

A good God

Little things, insignificant by themselves, but they are the colors of life, the richness that make the days worth living. Little things we don't think about because they are little, they are moments and pass so quickly. Savor the little things today, say thank you to God for the little things. It might surprise you how many of them fill your days.