Sometimes we only think of God as only doing big miracles and speaking to us only about the most critical things in our life. God is so capable of holding all of creation together and being everywhere all the time that I believe he actually has time to exercise his sense of humor with us.
Earlier this evening I went to my car to pull my Bible out so that I could read something of worth to see how it could connect with something I might have experienced this week. Well I came in the house, bible in hand, and remembered to go over to check my work cell phone to see if the charger was working properly. I picked it up looked at it, set it down and began to walk away when it rang. Its not suppose to ring on the weekends unless it's an on call emergency. I answered it. It was one of my co-workers who was taking a bible course at a local college. she needed some help with her assignment and wanted to know if I had a moment to find something in the Bible for me.
So here I am next to the phone bible in hand when they call. Just a coincidence? NOT!!!!!!!
I felt like God was saying, “Yo! Bob! Did you not think I pay attention to everything you do?
Did you not think I can set you up to use you even when you are not aware I am getting you ready?
Did you not think I know your every move?
What is it to you if I choose to reveal myself to you in the grandest most magnificent way or in the quiet insignificance of a Saturday evening at home?
What part of Omnipotent don’t you understand?”
Okay, I think I had my lesson for the day
God is THE Original multi –tasker, isn’t He!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Just who do you think you are?
That title probably got your attention. How often have you heard that said when party A feels that party B is stepping out of line with arrogance or audacity?
Well I put another spin on that question last night as we started another season of recovery ministry for our church. I have found that when there are dysfunctions in our lives, especially ones that deeply affect our perception of worth as a human being, we need to ask, “Just who do you think you are?”
Sometimes we lose sight of just who we are. Genesis 1:26 and 27 tells us very clearly that God created us in his image. That means we are intended to reflect only good, holy and righteous qualities of God. We were created for that.
Jeremiah 1:5 and Psalm 139:13-16 remind us that God intimately knows the details of each one of us and had a creative purposeful, wonderful and awesome reason to bring each one of us into existence. He knew each one of us before we were created in our mothers’ wombs.. There is nothing in the Bible to indicate any of us are a mistake or “junk.”
For God to create us in His image seems kind of worthless unless it is to be interactive with Him. God does not intend for us to be abandoned after he creates us. We may buy into a lie to believe that, but it can’t be true.
We can certainly think that God does not want to be in relationship sometimes when it becomes apparent that we have done something that would not please God or when things are just not going “our way.” Just do a word search in Psalms, and you will find there are many occasions where the Psalmist asks God why he “hides his face” from him or petitions God not to “hide his face.” That line of thinking affirms what is meant to be. We inherently know that it feels right for God to have his face toward us and not away from us.
Whether we ever come to realize how important we are to God does not affect his awareness of who we are. There is not one detail in our lives that goes unnoticed. Think about that!
You are special to God!!!!
Luke 12:7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (NIV)
Psalm 139 (New Living Translation)
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
17 How precious are your thoughts about me,[b] O God.
They cannot be numbered!
18 I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!
Stay close to Jesus!
REG
Well I put another spin on that question last night as we started another season of recovery ministry for our church. I have found that when there are dysfunctions in our lives, especially ones that deeply affect our perception of worth as a human being, we need to ask, “Just who do you think you are?”
Sometimes we lose sight of just who we are. Genesis 1:26 and 27 tells us very clearly that God created us in his image. That means we are intended to reflect only good, holy and righteous qualities of God. We were created for that.
Jeremiah 1:5 and Psalm 139:13-16 remind us that God intimately knows the details of each one of us and had a creative purposeful, wonderful and awesome reason to bring each one of us into existence. He knew each one of us before we were created in our mothers’ wombs.. There is nothing in the Bible to indicate any of us are a mistake or “junk.”
For God to create us in His image seems kind of worthless unless it is to be interactive with Him. God does not intend for us to be abandoned after he creates us. We may buy into a lie to believe that, but it can’t be true.
We can certainly think that God does not want to be in relationship sometimes when it becomes apparent that we have done something that would not please God or when things are just not going “our way.” Just do a word search in Psalms, and you will find there are many occasions where the Psalmist asks God why he “hides his face” from him or petitions God not to “hide his face.” That line of thinking affirms what is meant to be. We inherently know that it feels right for God to have his face toward us and not away from us.
Whether we ever come to realize how important we are to God does not affect his awareness of who we are. There is not one detail in our lives that goes unnoticed. Think about that!
You are special to God!!!!
Luke 12:7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (NIV)
Psalm 139 (New Living Translation)
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
17 How precious are your thoughts about me,[b] O God.
They cannot be numbered!
18 I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!
Stay close to Jesus!
REG
Monday, September 15, 2008
The sin of Silence
There is a faith sharing course we are currently presenting as part of our teaching ministry. It’s called “Share Jesus Without Fear” (By the way if you have never read the book it’s an easy read and I highly recommend it for anyone struggling with how to share their faith. The Author is Bill Fay). In the book and on one of the video presentations the concept of the “sin of silence” is mentioned. One of our younger newer individuals questioned such a sin as he had never heard of it before.
Well he was right in the sense that the actual words linked together as sin of silence isn’t likely to be found in a literal translation of the Bible. But the implication that it exists sure can have a case made for it. In a generic sense the sin of silence is not speaking up when we know we should. As it is applied to sharing our faith it simply means that when we do not share our faith with others it’s a sin.
The closing verses of Matthew 28 would be a great illustration of this sin being implied. It’s known as the Great Commission. We are to disciple baptize and teach. That’s a mandate to Jesus’ disciples pro temp then, but if we choose to follow him now it becomes our mandate too. So not to obey the commission is the sin of silence.
Strangely, the day before this came up in our Saturday morning class it was something I felt the urge to look into and revisit for myself. Not that I had a reminder or cue that it was going to come up in class but instead just that I had been in this one passage before and I just felt the urge to go back to it as a reminder to what it said to me.
Its Ezekiel 33:7-8 there is a charge to the watchman that if he knows from where he stands in the tower that there is danger on the horizon, it’s on him to warn everyone. Should all be lost, and they had not been forewarned their blood is on his hands; he is responsible for their fate. In other words, it’s a grievous sin to pay for if you had the opportunity to give warning and you choose to remain silent.
Doesn’t seem like we need a Rhoades Scholar to help us figure out the imagery in that passage. If the opportunity arises for us to share our faith seems like it’s not an option because it is dealing with someone else’s eternity.
In the book and on the video the author says that most Christians are afraid to share their faith and only about 10% do in a year’s time. Some are afraid of failure and rejection; some could care less; some don’t have a clue how to go about doing it. Others think sharing your faith means standing on a street corner with a sign in our hand or going door to door telling the rest of the world what they must do! The signs of the street corner evangelist that say “turn or burn” “Repent for the end is near” “you must be born again” are all messages that indeed state truth but aren’t getting people’s attention. I wonder if that message isn’t really more for someone one who already knows the word of God?
In today’s world the starting point for a lot of people is atheistic. No God, no heaven or hell; no hope and certainly no understanding of a need for a Savior. For others the starting point is believing they can define who God is or believe there is more than one god.
As we try to overcome the sin of silence, the challenge in today’s world is to share the Good News without being obnoxious, condescending, or condemning. The challenge is to find a way to make the Good News relative, logical and convincing and outrageously attractive instead of being a “turn off.” The challenge is to offer people an opportunity to receive the free gift of grace rather than make them feel like hell if they don’t (a lot of them probably already do feel like hell already). The challenge is to share the truth in a relevant loving way so that the truth will set them free.
Lord,
Help me recognize the opportunities that you put in front of me to become your partner in spreading the good news. Give me the right words to say that come individually tailored by you for that person.
Stay close to Jesus
REG
Well he was right in the sense that the actual words linked together as sin of silence isn’t likely to be found in a literal translation of the Bible. But the implication that it exists sure can have a case made for it. In a generic sense the sin of silence is not speaking up when we know we should. As it is applied to sharing our faith it simply means that when we do not share our faith with others it’s a sin.
The closing verses of Matthew 28 would be a great illustration of this sin being implied. It’s known as the Great Commission. We are to disciple baptize and teach. That’s a mandate to Jesus’ disciples pro temp then, but if we choose to follow him now it becomes our mandate too. So not to obey the commission is the sin of silence.
Strangely, the day before this came up in our Saturday morning class it was something I felt the urge to look into and revisit for myself. Not that I had a reminder or cue that it was going to come up in class but instead just that I had been in this one passage before and I just felt the urge to go back to it as a reminder to what it said to me.
Its Ezekiel 33:7-8 there is a charge to the watchman that if he knows from where he stands in the tower that there is danger on the horizon, it’s on him to warn everyone. Should all be lost, and they had not been forewarned their blood is on his hands; he is responsible for their fate. In other words, it’s a grievous sin to pay for if you had the opportunity to give warning and you choose to remain silent.
Doesn’t seem like we need a Rhoades Scholar to help us figure out the imagery in that passage. If the opportunity arises for us to share our faith seems like it’s not an option because it is dealing with someone else’s eternity.
In the book and on the video the author says that most Christians are afraid to share their faith and only about 10% do in a year’s time. Some are afraid of failure and rejection; some could care less; some don’t have a clue how to go about doing it. Others think sharing your faith means standing on a street corner with a sign in our hand or going door to door telling the rest of the world what they must do! The signs of the street corner evangelist that say “turn or burn” “Repent for the end is near” “you must be born again” are all messages that indeed state truth but aren’t getting people’s attention. I wonder if that message isn’t really more for someone one who already knows the word of God?
In today’s world the starting point for a lot of people is atheistic. No God, no heaven or hell; no hope and certainly no understanding of a need for a Savior. For others the starting point is believing they can define who God is or believe there is more than one god.
As we try to overcome the sin of silence, the challenge in today’s world is to share the Good News without being obnoxious, condescending, or condemning. The challenge is to find a way to make the Good News relative, logical and convincing and outrageously attractive instead of being a “turn off.” The challenge is to offer people an opportunity to receive the free gift of grace rather than make them feel like hell if they don’t (a lot of them probably already do feel like hell already). The challenge is to share the truth in a relevant loving way so that the truth will set them free.
Lord,
Help me recognize the opportunities that you put in front of me to become your partner in spreading the good news. Give me the right words to say that come individually tailored by you for that person.
Stay close to Jesus
REG
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