Hope

“So, Lord, what hope do I have?  You are my hope.  Psalm 39:7  (NCV)

 

Do you need HOPE?    Hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ!

More Wandering of an Old Man

Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.  Colossians 2:7 (NLT)

 

When this verse came to my inbox the other day I thought; "Well here may be the Body of Christ's problem!"  Do we let our roots grow deep into Christ?     Are we doing what it takes to get rooted in Christ?  Are we seeking that deep water source which is in Christ?   I know in the real world that when the heat hits plants, even mature trees that are not rooted into a DEEP SOURCE of water will die. I wonder about us as the Body of Christ?  Do we let our lives be built on him?  Do we look for that good foundation that is Christ?   Again, as we are have temperatures in the mid low thirties I have heard of our local community college's contractor continuing to pour the foundation for a new building on campus; I am not sure this is good planning but I am not in the concrete business nor the building business.  I am in the building the Family of God business and I wonder about our foundations? 

 

Doing these two things, rooting him Christ and Building on Christ,  will allow our faith to grow strong in the truth we were taught, this leads to another question, which is "What truths have we been taught."  Have we been taught G*D'S TRUTH or have we been taught some one's interpretation of G*d's Truth?   Personally, I think it is likely a 50/50 thing.  Half of what we were taught is G*D'S TRUTH and the other half is interpretation of G*d's Truth.  I know that from time to time as a pastor I will have to plead Guilty to the latter and be held accountable for not doing the former.  Again, I wonder.  I wonder if we need to do a better job of having a mindset like the people of Berea (Acts 17:11)?  

 

The last thing the verse says is "we will overflow with thanksgiving" if we are rooted and built.  So; I wonder are we overflowing with thanksgiving?  If not we need to work on our rooting and building site!

Happy Thanksgiving

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done.

New Living Translation (NLTPsalm 105 (NLT)

 

God gives insight on how to RUN OFF THE DEVIL!!

Gal 5:16 So I say, let the Spirit tell you what you should do. Then you will not do the wrong things you yourselves want to do. Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)

James 4:7 So let God control you. Fight the devil and he will run away from you. Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)

These are a couple (part of ) versewe looked at in Men's group.  If I am reding them right; if we let the Spirit of God tellus what to do and do what the Spirit tells us then we will not do the wrong we would like to do and in doing so we would resist the Devil thus making the devil run away!

So start listening and doing andsee the devil run!!!!

The election; What does the Bible say?

Romans 13:1

13 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. (NLT)

Romans 13:1 & 2

Every Christian ought to obey the civil authorities, for all legitimate authority is derived from God’s authority, and the existing authority is appointed under God. To oppose authority then is to oppose God, and such opposition is bound to be punished.

What do this passage say to us after the election? What if the authority ask us (tell us we must) do something that is anti-christian? What if like Hitler; the governing authority/civil authority begins to kill Jews (other group) and asks/tells us that it is our civil duty to support them in that killing? What if there is some  "Chicago" system voting?  Do we still "obey the civil authorities"?  Is obedience to the civil authorities what God calls us to when the civil authorities are, in our opinion out side of God's will?  If out side the will of God are those civil authorities "legitimate authority"?

 

The other question would be is Paul making a statement for all time "the existing authority is appointed under God" or just for his own? 

In any case we need to we need to follow the idea of Timothy in
1 Timothy 2:1-4  I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. ² Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. ³ This is good and pleases God our Savior, ⁴ who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.

Who's language do we speak?

Act 2:5-8 New Life Version (NLV) ⁵ There were many religious Jews staying in Jerusalem. They were from every country of the world. ⁶ When they heard this strange sound, they gathered together. They all listened! It was hard for them to believe they were hearing words in their own language. ⁷ They were surprised and wondered about it. They said to each other, “Are not these Galileans who are speaking? ⁸ How is it that each one of us can hear his own language?

These verses were part of Men's Group this evening.  The one I have made larger is one that hit me in the face as it was read.  It caused me to wonder if we as the Church are speaking in "the language" of those we are trying to meet.

I wonder if we use words that are a code for us insiders.  Not always as an attempt to keep the not-yet-christians or any other new comer in the dark but simply cause we have always used the terms; "born-again, second blessing, save, washed in the blood" to name a few.

I also wonder if we need to reach those that are not-yet-christians that are say under 45 years old and younger if we need to change our language?  How we present the gospel; both in words and also in other ways; which I,  as a 50 something former pastor turned hamburger flipper,  am not sure I can innumerate.  Change our time frame; both hour and day?  What makes Sunday between 9 a.m. and Noon the time for church?  Why not Friday at 7:52p.m. or Saturday afternoon or Tuesday evening?      Change our method of presentation?    Is there a way to do the sermon as a text or email that then can be discussed at the "worship time" (even that phrase "WORSHIP TIME" is our/my language.)  These and many other thoughts go wandering through my wondering mind this Wednesday evening between 6:00 p.m. and 7:29p.m. followed by Choir practice.

More wondering of this Old Man

Deuteronomy 6:1-8

6 The Lord your God has directed me to teach you his commands, rules and laws. Obey them in the land you will take over when you go across the Jordan River.  ² Then you, your children and their children after them will have respect for the Lord your God as long as you live. Keep all of his rules and commands I’m giving you. If you do, you will enjoy long life.

³ Israel, listen to me. Make sure you obey me. Then things will go well with you. Your numbers will increase greatly in a land that has plenty of milk and honey. That’s what the Lord, the God of your parents, promised you.

⁴ Israel, listen to me. The Lord is our God. The Lord is the one and only God. ⁵ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your strength.

⁶ The commandments I give you today must be in your hearts. ⁷ Make sure your children learn them. Talk about them when you are at home. Talk about them when you walk along the road. Speak about them when you go to bed. And speak about them when you get up. ⁸ Write them down and tie them on your hands as a reminder. Also tie them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses. Also write them on your gates.   (NIRV)

This is at least the second time God repeats the idea in the first three verses.  The time I saw this evening was in chapter 4 but I digress for my wondering.   My wondering thought is; Is this where we have messed up today and why the world is going to . . . down the tube."  Are we teaching anything let alone the commands of God to our children?    Well this is the wonderings of this old man!

Another in a long line (whch will get longer) of old man's wondering.

9So why do you keep calling me 'Lord, Lord!' when you don't do what I say?
 Luke 6:46 NLT

Well?   What is your answer?

Just a Thought (and/or reminder)

I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.  ~ Psalm 120:1 NLT

Then when you call, the Lord will answer. 'Yes, I am here,' he will quickly reply.   Isaiah 58:9 NLT



 Thank you KLOVE and Air1 for these verses of the day.

 

More Wondering By This Oldman

 ⁴ Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, ⁵ so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.   Romans 12:4-5 (NLT)

Again a verse of the day that will start one wondering; read yesterdays for my wonderings on church unity.  This one gets me to thinking about how we treat our physical body and if we would/do treat Christ's body likewise.  Just my wondering thoughts!!!

Building the House

Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.       Ephesians 2:20 NLT


This verse was the verse of the day from either Klove or Air1 today.  It got me to wondering "what are we apart?"  I guess I see Christendom as a house divided; not together.  I am not even meaning denominations.  I am think of the clans of the Christendom like the American Baptists or the United Methodists or the Presbyterians or the  Southern Baptists.     In fact it is more like individual congregations can not even be built together into a house on one foundation.  Another man in my church and I were talking when we were the only two to show for men's group Wednesday about the church (the local congregation we fellowship in) and what it will take to get the body to care about the not-yet-Christians in our community.  As I look back at the conversation in the light of this verse it just may be a need of "coming together" allowing the cornerstone Christ Jesus himself to build the house one the foundation of His choosing.

Just my wondering wandering mind at work!

Just A Thought!!

Do not remember where on the net I found this (did so long ago) but it is a thought!!!!!

Wondering some more

The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. ~ Psalm 103:8, NLT

When I saw this verse in my E-mail this morning, my first thought was is this our image of God as his children and is it the image the world, the not-yet-christians, has of God?  In both case I think the answer is no.   For the not-yet-christians I think it is a fear, as well as a message given, at least in times past, of God being "out to get you!"  The image of "God sending people to Hell".  This may be the same thing that causes God's kids to not think of God in this way.  Just wondering way before I even had a chance to wander today!

Another thought came as I wrote; why are we as God's kids not acting like our Daddy.  Being compassionate, merciful, slow to anger (been in a church board meeting or business meeting lately?) and filled with UNFAILING love?   Again simply wondering!

More wondering

This post from Holy Soup; got me to wondering . . .

I wonder if there is a relationahip issue in the church as a whole; as in we do not have relationships with each other as well as Jesus. We come to church but are not church, are not a body dependant on one another. Especially in larger churches, but in even in the small church where I am a member there is a limited commitment to relationship without the estabished groups. The mens grp just talked about the lack of fellowship event — events for no other reason than simply building relationships. We have men’s/women’s mnistry on Wednesday (a time of study) Sunday School and Worship Sunday AM (study based) when do sit around andget to know each other? Also most churches I have been apart of in the last 20 years have done away with Sunday Evening time when the “Testimony time” was. Just wondering; would this have anything to do with a lack of people having a today vs historical Jesus?

Another Moment of Wondering

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.  2 Peter 1:3 NLT

Peter tells us that God had given us what we need to live a Godly life; therefore we have no reason or excuse for not living Godly!  Maybe the reason we have problems is that we do not "come to know Jesus"!  Just a thought!!!!!! (Thanks AJ3)

Interesting 2!!!!

Dan Edelen wrote a response to the Out of Ur article I looked at Friday 032212.  I love it when some one prove the left wrong!!!!!!

Interesting!?!

Interesting Out of Ur Article

I like Peter Berger idea it reminds me of a teaching in Matthew 7:13 & 14  ¹³ "Enter through the narrow gate. The gate is wide and the road is wide that leads to hell, and many people enter through that gate. ¹⁴ But the gate is small and the road is narrow that leads to true life. Only a few people find that road.

I wonder if practice what you preach is not the mantra of the younger set?  I see the Body of Christ at times being right in their thoughts but wrong in their actions.  Homosexuality and Abortion being the two that come to mind.  We have handled both as if they are Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit; unforgivable.  It is the one place we as the Body of Christ will allow hate speech; both from the pulpit and from the pew.  This cause the young folks to call Bull Manure alert and Rightfully so.  We need to look at Berger's, as well as Campbell and Putnam's, thinking and deal with the whys and hows of the matter.

Here is  Berger's full response

One more moment of wondering

This is a video of Ed Dobson. While his statements are about his life as a pastor; I wonder if it is not just as true of the body of Christ in general; ie the congregation.  We get so busy with the business of the work of the ministry that we forget to do the ministry in the community in which God has planted us.
http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/living/2012/02/11/eds-story-my-garden.cnn#/video/living/2012/02/11/eds-story-my-garden.cnn

Just wondering

^1-3 "I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.
⁴"Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me.
^5-8"I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.   John 15:1-8 (The Message)

As I read this I wonder if there is a reason for the majority of churches in the United States not growing.  Especially, the first eight verses.  Just a thought.

Fank and Ernest nails it.

Saw this in todays paper; just thought it was worth a repost for those who missed it.

Marriage and Sex

Here is another video that is a must watch  thanks K Love on there facebook page.

God knows more than you think he knows!

Psalm 139 New Century Version (NCV)

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹ Lord, you have examined me and know all about me.
² You know when I sit down and when I get up. You know my thoughts before I think them.
³ You know where I go and where I lie down. You know everything I do.
⁴ Lord, even before I say a word, you already know it.
⁵ You are all around me—in front and in back— and have put your hand on me.
⁶ Your knowledge is amazing to me; it is more than I can understand.
⁷ Where can I go to get away from your Spirit? Where can I run from you?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I lie down in the grave, you are there.
⁹ If I rise with the sun in the east and settle in the west beyond the sea,
¹⁰ even there you would guide me. With your right hand you would hold me.
¹¹ I could say, "The darkness will hide me.  Let the light around me turn into night."
¹² But even the darkness is not dark to you. The night is as light as the day; darkness and light are the same to you.
¹³ You made my whole being; you formed me in my mother's body.
¹⁴ I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way.  What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well.
¹⁵ You saw my bones being formed as I took shape in my mother's body. When I was put together there, ¹⁶ you saw my body as it was formed. All the days planned for me
were written in your book before I was one day old.
¹⁷ God, your thoughts are precious to me. They are so many!
¹⁸ If I could count them, they would be more than all the grains of sand. When I wake up, I am still with you.
¹⁹ God, I wish you would kill the wicked! Get away from me, you murderers!
²⁰ They say evil things about you. Your enemies use your name thoughtlessly.
²¹ Lord, I hate those who hate you; I hate those who rise up against you.

 ²² I feel only hate for them; they are my enemies.
²³ God, examine me and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any bad thing in me. Lead me on the road to everlasting life.

I have read this verse a number of times; never really saw waht I was shown during men's Bible Study.  The discussion that night showed me another way this passage canbe used.  It can be used as a way of pointing out to people that God already knows what you hve done. Not just us in the church but even not-yet-christians.  Those who say God cn't love me becasue I am TOO BAD A PERSON for God to love.  If they are willing to believe the Bible then Romans 5:8 (NCV)  "But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners." points out that Christ died for us while we were still sinners, at odds with God, and the Psalm 139 points out that knew EVERYTHING about us and the person we are speaking with WHEN CHRIST DIED FOR US!

To me the is the GREAT NEWS of the GOD NEWS!  God was willing to die for us knowing everything about us!!

Seeking GOD

Hebrews 11:6c (New Living Translation) [GOD] rewards those who sincerely [diligently] seek [God].

So, my  question is just how sincerely, diligently, do we seek God both as individuals and as a body?  The word sincerely, means "without wax".  It was used to tell the buyer that a carving had not had places repaired or cracks find with wax mixed with stone dust.  So are should be with a mindset of really seeking God not just paying lip service to the idea.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diligently?show=0&t=1326916591 defines this way : "characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort : painstaking".   I think of a Bloodhound on a scent.  I have heard of Bloodhounds running the pads of their paws raw refusing to give up on a scent.  Do we seek God in a way that would make us "bleed"?

Just wondering?   Again no wandering involved!

GOD Cares for you!

Isaiah 43:1-7 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

¹The Lord created Jacob and formed Israel. Now, this is what the Lord says:

Do not be afraid, because I have reclaimed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
²When you go through the sea, I am with you.
When you go through rivers, they will not sweep you away.
When you walk through fire, you will not be burned,
and the flames will not harm you.
³I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Egypt is the ransom I exchanged for you.
Sudan and Seba are the price I paid for you.
⁴Since you are precious to me, you are honored and I love you.
I will exchange others for you.
Nations will be the price I pay for your life.
⁵Do not be afraid, because I am with you.
I will bring your descendants from the east
and gather you from the west.
⁶I will say to the north, “Give them up,”
and to the south, “Do not keep them.”
Bring my sons from far away
and my daughters from the ends of the earth.
⁷Bring everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.

As I read this passage preparing for a Men's Bible Study I was impressed by the idea of how we are precious, honored and loved by God.  This in turn got me to thinking that those who yet to know God through Jesus are also precious, loved, and honored by God.  This lead me to think about who we God's children do not honor, love and find precious those who yet to know our Papa, our Abba, Baba, our Daddy, our Father.  We are God's children and God's Ambassadors; shouldn't we love, honor and find precious those he finds precious; who He loves and who He honors?

Just wondering!! No wandering involved!

This is a great video! thanks to the friend who posted on facebook

A question asked

As we began the men's group at church last night we started discussing the what the body needed to do as a way of ministry.  One of the questions asked was why we as a church/as individuals did not do the outreach we ought to do.

We came up with a number of reasons from fear of rejection; being told no; lack of training (or maybe that should be no paying attention to the training we have had) and I even suggested that we just did not want to; God might call us to do outreach to a person but we simply said NO! to God's Holy Spirit.

As my mind tends to do, I am the old man and I do wonder, my brain continued to turn the question over; as it did so a couple of old sermon illustration came to mind.  Both you will see below; (Thank God for the Internet search engine!).

 

"The Parable Of The Lifesaving Station"

On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur there was once a crude little lifesaving station. The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat, but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea, and with no thought for themselves, they went out day or night tirelessly searching for the lost. Many lives were saved by this wonderful little station, so that it became famous. Some of those who were saved, and various others in the surrounding areas, wanted to become associated with the station and give of their time and money and effort for the support of its work. New boats were bought and new crews were trained. The little lifesaving station grew. Some of the new members of the lifesaving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and so poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge of those saved from the sea. They replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in an enlarged building. Now the lifesaving station became a popular gathering place for its members, and they redecorated it beautifully and furnished it as a sort of club. Less of the members were now interested in going to sea on lifesaving missions, so they hired life boat crews to do this work. The mission of lifesaving was still given lip-service but most were too busy or lacked the necessary commitment to take part in the lifesaving activities personally. About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in boat loads of cold, wet and half-drowned people. They were dirty and sick, some had skin of a different color, some spoke a strange language, and the beautiful new club was considerably messed up. So the property committee immediately had a shower house built outside the club where victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside. At the next meeting, there was a split in the club membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club's lifesaving activities as being unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal pattern of the club. But some members insisted that lifesaving was their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a lifesaving station. But they were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the life of all various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own lifesaving station down the coast. They did. As the years went by, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. They evolved into a club and yet another lifesaving station was founded. If you visit the seacoast today you will find a number of exclusive clubs along that shore. Shipwrecks are still frequent in those waters, but now most of the people drown!-- Taken from Personal Evangelism 101, by Brent Hunter

The Starfish Story

adapted from The Star Thrower

by Loren Eiseley (1907 - 1977)

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.
One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.
He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"
The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."
"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.
To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."
Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"
At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one."

I see a few of things from the lifesaving station.  First, we have stopped seeing the need to reach a dieing world.  Second, we enjoy the safety and comfort of the station (the church building) Third, is those who still see the need must continue the work either in a new place or inspite of the majority and (while not in the story blame God for this) not blame or condemn the majority for their lack of commitment.  It is not our job as the people seeing the need to a) force the others in the church to se the need and b) force the others to do outreach.  Those who see the need, WE must go out and reach "rescue" the needy and dieing world!

The Starfish story spoke to me in the area of some feeling overwhelmed by the great need.  People get overwhelmed by the great number of unreached folks they see and get the attitude of "what does it matter we can not reach them all!"  Yet like the starfish thrower; we need to pick up the one near us and throw it back!  We need, we must reach the person/people we can and allow God to figure out how to reach the person/people we can not reach.

Surprizing what one question does!!!