“A merry heart does good, like medicine” (Proverbs 17:22)
A Well-Known Monk
A wandering monk walked barefoot everywhere he went, to the point that the soles of his feet eventually became quite thick and leathery. And because he ate very little, he gradually became very frail. Several days often passed between opportunities to brush his teeth, so he usually had bad breath. Therefore, throughout the region, he came to be known as the super-calloused fragile mystic plagued with halitosis
Calling the Last Rites
A man is struck by a bus on a busy street in New York City. He lies dying on the sidewalk as a crowd of spectators gathers around. "A priest! Somebody get me a priest!" the man gasps. A policeman checks the crowd but finds no priest, no minister, no man of God of any kind.
"A PRIEST, PLEASE!" the dying man says again. Then out of the crowd steps a little old Jewish man of at least eighty years of age. "Mr. Policeman," says the man, "I'm not a priest. I'm not even a Catholic. But for fifty years now I'm living behind St. Mary's Catholic Church on Third Avenue, and every night I'm listening to the Catholic litany. Maybe I can be of some comfort to this man."
The policeman agrees and brings the octogenarian over to the dying man. He kneels down, leans over the injured and says in a solemn voice: "B - 4. I - 19. N - 38. G - 54. O - 72."
Show-and-Tell
A kindergarten teacher gave her class a "show and tell" assignment. Each student was instructed to bring in an object to share with the class that represented their religion.
The first student got up in front of the class and said, "My name is Benjamin and I am Jewish and this is a Star of David. "The second student got up in front of the class and said, "My name is Mary. I'm a Catholic and this is the Crucifix."
The third student got in up front of the class and said, " My name is Tommy and I am Baptist and this is a casserole."
The Door Stopper
Two church members were going door to door. They knocked on the door of a woman who clearly was not happy to see them. She told them in no uncertain terms she did not want to hear their message and then slammed the door in their faces.
To her surprise, the door did not close. In fact, it bounced back open. Seeing the two church members at the door frustrated her. She stormed back to the door and flung it shut.
But the door still didn't close. Furious, she grabbed the door with two hands and shoved it as hard as she could. But again, the door wouldn't shut.
Convinced one of these rude church members was sticking a foot in the door, she reared back to give the door a slam that would really teach them a lesson.
Just then, one of the church members said, "Ma'am, before you do that again, you might want to move your cat."
Friday, September 28, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
KNOCK, KNOCK! WHO'S THERE?
“Knock, knock…”
“Who’s there?”
“It’s Me, Jesus!”
“Jesus! No way. You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“No, it’s really Me and I can’t come in until you open the door!”
Does that sound like an implausible situation, like that could never happen? Well, it happens…and more frequently than we would like to believe. Jesus knocks and we don’t open the door!
One of the very first verses I learned to use for soul-winning was Revelation 3:20:
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (New King James)
The good news is that this is a verse that I have used countless times in sharing how to receive Christ. The unintended side effect is that I set the verse aside over in the mental file marked “soul-winning” without allowing the verse to have its intended effect on me. Revelation 3 is not a soul-winning presentation in the traditional sense; it is a part of the vision that was given to the Apostle John about the seven churches of Asia. Contained in the descriptions of each church are truths that are not only applicable to these representative churches but also to us. One of those great truths is contained in 3:20.
You know from previous articles that I believe God is never silent. Even when it seems as though we cannot hear what God is saying, He never stops talking to His people. It is up to us to get where the conversation (as I call it) is ongoing. Where is that? I’m glad you asked. The conversation never ceases in and through His Word. Even when it seems like the heavens are brass, Hebrews 4:12 says God’s voice is still active, “For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power…” (Amplified)
Revelation 3:20 says that Jesus not only knocks but He speaks to us. I believe this is the rising awareness that comes to us when the Holy Spirit is trying to get our attention, trying to get us to listen. The knocking/speaking might be circumstances arranged to get our attention. The knocking also can be the “dealing” of the Holy Spirit or it can be an “alert” given to us by a friend who says something like, “I think the Lord is trying to tell you something!” Most often God will cause His Word to come alive (knocking) in our spirit and “speak to us.”
One of the famous paintings of this Revelation scene shows Jesus on the outside of a door that has no outside latch. The only latch is on the inside, meaning that we open the door when we are aware that Christ is knocking. This is borne out in the example of Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). Jesus knocked and Paul fell off his horse. Paul’s conversion didn’t happen by his being knocked on his backside but when he addressed Christ as Lord. At that moment Paul, by an act of his own will, opened the door to Christ’s power entering his life.
Jesus says, “If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and dine him and he with me.” Here is the picture as I see it. Christ is not suggesting that we are being invited to a giant banquet with thousands in attendance. Jesus is not sitting at a head table with Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Noah (and a sprinkling of the prophets for good measure), with us at a round table with eight or ten others hundreds of feet from the podium. That is not the correct picture at all. What I believe the Lord is saying here is that He and the hearer (the person who opened the door) will have an intimate dining experience…just the two of them! In the original language the word that is used for “dine” indicates a very personal and intimate time of fellowship and communication.
As I understand the intent of this Scripture, I believe that what the writer was trying to convey was the understanding that:
1. The Lord desires this kind of personal contact and communication with each of us. (Behold, I stand at the door and knock.)
2. The Lord is restrained by our passivity or inaction. (If any man hears and opens the door…)
3. Jesus has things to share with you that are for your ears only. (I will dine with him and he with Me.)
“Knock, knock!”
“Who’s there?”
“Jesus!”
“Welcome, the door is open!”
“Who’s there?”
“It’s Me, Jesus!”
“Jesus! No way. You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“No, it’s really Me and I can’t come in until you open the door!”
Does that sound like an implausible situation, like that could never happen? Well, it happens…and more frequently than we would like to believe. Jesus knocks and we don’t open the door!
One of the very first verses I learned to use for soul-winning was Revelation 3:20:
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (New King James)
The good news is that this is a verse that I have used countless times in sharing how to receive Christ. The unintended side effect is that I set the verse aside over in the mental file marked “soul-winning” without allowing the verse to have its intended effect on me. Revelation 3 is not a soul-winning presentation in the traditional sense; it is a part of the vision that was given to the Apostle John about the seven churches of Asia. Contained in the descriptions of each church are truths that are not only applicable to these representative churches but also to us. One of those great truths is contained in 3:20.
You know from previous articles that I believe God is never silent. Even when it seems as though we cannot hear what God is saying, He never stops talking to His people. It is up to us to get where the conversation (as I call it) is ongoing. Where is that? I’m glad you asked. The conversation never ceases in and through His Word. Even when it seems like the heavens are brass, Hebrews 4:12 says God’s voice is still active, “For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power…” (Amplified)
Revelation 3:20 says that Jesus not only knocks but He speaks to us. I believe this is the rising awareness that comes to us when the Holy Spirit is trying to get our attention, trying to get us to listen. The knocking/speaking might be circumstances arranged to get our attention. The knocking also can be the “dealing” of the Holy Spirit or it can be an “alert” given to us by a friend who says something like, “I think the Lord is trying to tell you something!” Most often God will cause His Word to come alive (knocking) in our spirit and “speak to us.”
One of the famous paintings of this Revelation scene shows Jesus on the outside of a door that has no outside latch. The only latch is on the inside, meaning that we open the door when we are aware that Christ is knocking. This is borne out in the example of Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). Jesus knocked and Paul fell off his horse. Paul’s conversion didn’t happen by his being knocked on his backside but when he addressed Christ as Lord. At that moment Paul, by an act of his own will, opened the door to Christ’s power entering his life.
Jesus says, “If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and dine him and he with me.” Here is the picture as I see it. Christ is not suggesting that we are being invited to a giant banquet with thousands in attendance. Jesus is not sitting at a head table with Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Noah (and a sprinkling of the prophets for good measure), with us at a round table with eight or ten others hundreds of feet from the podium. That is not the correct picture at all. What I believe the Lord is saying here is that He and the hearer (the person who opened the door) will have an intimate dining experience…just the two of them! In the original language the word that is used for “dine” indicates a very personal and intimate time of fellowship and communication.
As I understand the intent of this Scripture, I believe that what the writer was trying to convey was the understanding that:
1. The Lord desires this kind of personal contact and communication with each of us. (Behold, I stand at the door and knock.)
2. The Lord is restrained by our passivity or inaction. (If any man hears and opens the door…)
3. Jesus has things to share with you that are for your ears only. (I will dine with him and he with Me.)
“Knock, knock!”
“Who’s there?”
“Jesus!”
“Welcome, the door is open!”
Friday, September 21, 2007
FAITH BROWN
In 2000 in a book entitled An Uncommon Faith, my wife wrote about Faith’s early life and some of her challenges and adventures in developing the ministry in New York. Faith is a modern-day example of how God can use a young college graduate from Colorado to touch hundreds of lives caught in the trap of sin (drug addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes, gang members) with the power of the Gospel. Her life is a tremendous example for us all; if God can use Faith Brown in such a powerful way, He can use you, too!
The ministry Faith helped establish continues to flourish to this day, an enduring testimony of her life and witness nearly twenty years after her death from cancer. This ministry is active on nearly forty high-school and college campuses and in many other areas of ministry in the “Big Apple.” On a regular basis we are going to feature some of Faith’s writings on this blog. For information on how to purchase a copy of An Uncommon Faith, send an e-mail to dpmn1999@aol.com and request information on the book. You can also request information on the New York ministry that Faith began and we will send that as well. Here is a sample of Faith's writings.
********************************************************************************
GET MILITANT
I consider myself militant and I consider Christianity a call to militancy. Militancy calls to mind total dedication to a stated cause.
Jesus Christ said that if we are to live, we must be willing to lose our lives in Him. Is there any greater dedication than this? Militancy demands our time and persistence. Every time I see a member of the Jehovah’s Witness group standing on a street corner giving out “false” teaching, I wonder why Christians are so afraid to stand on the same corner giving out the truth.
This past week I did some door-to-door visiting in a building in our neighborhood in the South Bronx. There were thirty apartments in this building. Twenty-five doors were answered and of this number, five let us know that they belong to the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Upon questioning, not one of them seemed to know the Lord.
It pays to stand on the street and peddle lies! That’s why the devil gets false teachers to use the approaches of the Bible to win converts to false religions that teach that Jesus Christ is not Lord. And many of these “converts” become followers of the false religion, even though the teachings are contrary to what they were taught in their Catholic or Protestant churches. Why? Because when they were as lonely as hell, or their homes were being shattered by drugs, who was there with a smile and a claim to have the answer? The Jehovah’s Witnesses—sitting in their kitchens, right in the middle of the worst ghettos in America, winning converts by the hundreds of thousands.
Where are the saved, Spirit-filled believers who know that Jesus is Lord? In churches shouting and testifying, or learning more of the Word so they will be sure to be ready to meet Jesus when He comes to rescue them from their miserable lives. Or watching some evangelist on television tell them how to get something for themselves by sending money to him. And the devil is running rampant in the minds of lost, lonely people who would readily accept the Truth if He were presented to them before they were brainwashed into rejecting Him.
I dare you to get militant enough to actually begin to carry out the teachings of Jesus Christ. You’ll begin to realize how really militant you are by all the weird looks the Christian friends at your church give you when they hear that you are actually winning people to Jesus Christ. (“Good grief, why doesn’t she just stay at home and watch TV or do some crafts?”)
The ministry Faith helped establish continues to flourish to this day, an enduring testimony of her life and witness nearly twenty years after her death from cancer. This ministry is active on nearly forty high-school and college campuses and in many other areas of ministry in the “Big Apple.” On a regular basis we are going to feature some of Faith’s writings on this blog. For information on how to purchase a copy of An Uncommon Faith, send an e-mail to dpmn1999@aol.com and request information on the book. You can also request information on the New York ministry that Faith began and we will send that as well. Here is a sample of Faith's writings.
********************************************************************************
GET MILITANT
I consider myself militant and I consider Christianity a call to militancy. Militancy calls to mind total dedication to a stated cause.
Jesus Christ said that if we are to live, we must be willing to lose our lives in Him. Is there any greater dedication than this? Militancy demands our time and persistence. Every time I see a member of the Jehovah’s Witness group standing on a street corner giving out “false” teaching, I wonder why Christians are so afraid to stand on the same corner giving out the truth.
This past week I did some door-to-door visiting in a building in our neighborhood in the South Bronx. There were thirty apartments in this building. Twenty-five doors were answered and of this number, five let us know that they belong to the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Upon questioning, not one of them seemed to know the Lord.
It pays to stand on the street and peddle lies! That’s why the devil gets false teachers to use the approaches of the Bible to win converts to false religions that teach that Jesus Christ is not Lord. And many of these “converts” become followers of the false religion, even though the teachings are contrary to what they were taught in their Catholic or Protestant churches. Why? Because when they were as lonely as hell, or their homes were being shattered by drugs, who was there with a smile and a claim to have the answer? The Jehovah’s Witnesses—sitting in their kitchens, right in the middle of the worst ghettos in America, winning converts by the hundreds of thousands.
Where are the saved, Spirit-filled believers who know that Jesus is Lord? In churches shouting and testifying, or learning more of the Word so they will be sure to be ready to meet Jesus when He comes to rescue them from their miserable lives. Or watching some evangelist on television tell them how to get something for themselves by sending money to him. And the devil is running rampant in the minds of lost, lonely people who would readily accept the Truth if He were presented to them before they were brainwashed into rejecting Him.
I dare you to get militant enough to actually begin to carry out the teachings of Jesus Christ. You’ll begin to realize how really militant you are by all the weird looks the Christian friends at your church give you when they hear that you are actually winning people to Jesus Christ. (“Good grief, why doesn’t she just stay at home and watch TV or do some crafts?”)
Monday, September 17, 2007
THE LAST ACT OF A DYING MAN
Hebrews 11 is the “faith hall of fame.” The chapter begins with the classic definition of faith and then walks us down the hallway of fame with vignettes about some of the great heroes of faith displayed like portraits on the wall. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah and others are all beautifully pictured and briefly sketched in a sentence or two that capture their acts of obedience and walk of faith.
Verse 21 has arrested me; it reads, “By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff” (New King James).
At first reading this hardly seems like the kind of act to be included with Noah “building an ark,” Abraham “going out not knowing where he was going,” or Moses “leading the children of Israel through the Red Sea.” But there it is—in the midst of the “hall of fame” with all the others!
By the time Jacob’s life was at an end, his natural eyesight was gone, but his “faith sight” was crystal clear. When Joseph brought his sons in for his father Jacob to bless, Joseph carefully arranged his sons so that Jacob’s right hand (signifying the greater anointing and blessing) would be upon his firstborn and Jacob’s left hand would be on the son born second. By the “eye of faith” Jacob knew that the second-born son was to be used by God in a greater way than his brother and so, even though blind, he crossed his hands and laid his right hand on the second born and the left on his older brother. Both grandsons were blessed but not in the order that tradition dictated.
The Scripture says that after blessing his grandsons, Jacob leaned on his staff and worshipped. This is a difficult phrase to translate from the original. It probably does not mean that Jacob literally stood up, leaned on his walking stick and worshipped. More likely it means that he lay back on his bed and worshipped. Frankly, exactly how it happened is immaterial. What is really important to understand is that Jacob valued his relationship with God so strongly that he went out of this life and into eternity, worshipping. The last act of a dying man was to worship his God!
What does this say to us about the value of worship? Authentic worship is not about us, it is all about Him. Authentic worship is an act of faith, not a declaration of war, not an assertion of rights, not a condemnation of the devil…it is an act of faith as we express praise and adoration to God. Trite little songs and poems about dancing and jumping, about exercising our dominion and our rights, are hardly worship; at best they are expressions of pleasure and joy in serving Jesus. Authentic worship is not a performance; instead, it is a humble and unrestrained act of adoration of the Creator. Real worship is totally focused on Him and has nothing at all to do with me or you or anybody else!
What does it say to us that the final act of a dying man is worship? I believe this act of faith shows us how deeply Jacob valued his relationship with God. Jacob had gone through some very serious challenges in his life and he had seen God provide for him and his family in miraculous ways. Jacob knew the pain of being lied to by his sons after they had conspired to kill their brother Joseph. Jacob knew the terrifying pain of believing that he had lost one son only to find out that another had been taken hostage by the Egyptians. Jacob thought Joseph was dead, but he later saw God’s magnificently sovereign plan being unfolded by Joseph’s advance entrance into Egypt. Jacob had seen the extremes of life, the lowest of lows and the highest of highs. He easily could have chosen to finish life as a cynical and beaten man, but instead he chose to finish his life in an act of faith, an act of worship. Maybe Jacob, in an act of faith, one more time slowly pushed himself up from his bed, and one last time took up his walking stick. Slowly, so slowly, Jacob pushed himself upright in defiance of his age and infirmity and, using his staff for balance, begin to magnify the Lord with the verbal sacrifice of praise and worship. I can almost hear the tired voice of Jacob as he begins to worship and give praise to the Almighty!
I like that imagery—it is a picture that belongs in the “faith hall of fame.” May we all learn to walk by faith as worshippers of El Shaddai/The Almighty!
Hebrews 11 is the “faith hall of fame.” The chapter begins with the classic definition of faith and then walks us down the hallway of fame with vignettes about some of the great heroes of faith displayed like portraits on the wall. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah and others are all beautifully pictured and briefly sketched in a sentence or two that capture their acts of obedience and walk of faith.
Verse 21 has arrested me; it reads, “By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff” (New King James).
At first reading this hardly seems like the kind of act to be included with Noah “building an ark,” Abraham “going out not knowing where he was going,” or Moses “leading the children of Israel through the Red Sea.” But there it is—in the midst of the “hall of fame” with all the others!
By the time Jacob’s life was at an end, his natural eyesight was gone, but his “faith sight” was crystal clear. When Joseph brought his sons in for his father Jacob to bless, Joseph carefully arranged his sons so that Jacob’s right hand (signifying the greater anointing and blessing) would be upon his firstborn and Jacob’s left hand would be on the son born second. By the “eye of faith” Jacob knew that the second-born son was to be used by God in a greater way than his brother and so, even though blind, he crossed his hands and laid his right hand on the second born and the left on his older brother. Both grandsons were blessed but not in the order that tradition dictated.
The Scripture says that after blessing his grandsons, Jacob leaned on his staff and worshipped. This is a difficult phrase to translate from the original. It probably does not mean that Jacob literally stood up, leaned on his walking stick and worshipped. More likely it means that he lay back on his bed and worshipped. Frankly, exactly how it happened is immaterial. What is really important to understand is that Jacob valued his relationship with God so strongly that he went out of this life and into eternity, worshipping. The last act of a dying man was to worship his God!
What does this say to us about the value of worship? Authentic worship is not about us, it is all about Him. Authentic worship is an act of faith, not a declaration of war, not an assertion of rights, not a condemnation of the devil…it is an act of faith as we express praise and adoration to God. Trite little songs and poems about dancing and jumping, about exercising our dominion and our rights, are hardly worship; at best they are expressions of pleasure and joy in serving Jesus. Authentic worship is not a performance; instead, it is a humble and unrestrained act of adoration of the Creator. Real worship is totally focused on Him and has nothing at all to do with me or you or anybody else!
What does it say to us that the final act of a dying man is worship? I believe this act of faith shows us how deeply Jacob valued his relationship with God. Jacob had gone through some very serious challenges in his life and he had seen God provide for him and his family in miraculous ways. Jacob knew the pain of being lied to by his sons after they had conspired to kill their brother Joseph. Jacob knew the terrifying pain of believing that he had lost one son only to find out that another had been taken hostage by the Egyptians. Jacob thought Joseph was dead, but he later saw God’s magnificently sovereign plan being unfolded by Joseph’s advance entrance into Egypt. Jacob had seen the extremes of life, the lowest of lows and the highest of highs. He easily could have chosen to finish life as a cynical and beaten man, but instead he chose to finish his life in an act of faith, an act of worship. Maybe Jacob, in an act of faith, one more time slowly pushed himself up from his bed, and one last time took up his walking stick. Slowly, so slowly, Jacob pushed himself upright in defiance of his age and infirmity and, using his staff for balance, begin to magnify the Lord with the verbal sacrifice of praise and worship. I can almost hear the tired voice of Jacob as he begins to worship and give praise to the Almighty!
I like that imagery—it is a picture that belongs in the “faith hall of fame.” May we all learn to walk by faith as worshippers of El Shaddai/The Almighty!
Friday, September 14, 2007
A MERRY HEART
“A merry heart does good, like medicine,” (Proverbs 17:22)
Leaves of the Book
A little boy opened the big Bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible. He picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that had been pressed in between the pages. "Mama, look what I found!" the boy called out.
"What have you got there, dear?"
With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered, "I think it's Adam's underwear!"
Waking Up for Church
One Sunday morning, a mother went in to wake her son and tell him it was time to get ready for church, to which he replied, "I'm not going."
"Why not?" she asked. "I'll give you two good reasons," he said. "One, they don't like me, and two, I don't like them."
His mother replied, "I'll give YOU two good reasons why you SHOULD go to church. One, you're 54 years old, and two, you're the pastor!"
Long-Distance Calls
A man in Topeka, Kansas decided to write a book about churches around the country. He started by flying to San Francisco and worked east from there. Going to a very large church, he began taking photographs and notes. He spotted a golden telephone on the vestibule wall and was intrigued by a sign which read: "$10,000 a minute." Seeking out the Pastor he asked about the phone and the sign. The Pastor explained that the golden phone was, in fact, a direct line to Heaven and if he paid the price he could talk directly to God. The man thanked the Pastor and continued on his way. As he continued to visit churches in Seattle, San Diego, Chicago, Greensboro, Tampa and all around the United States, he found more phones with the same sign and got the same answer from each Pastor.
Finally, he arrived in Texas. Upon entering a church in Dallas, behold, he saw the usual golden telephone. But THIS time, the sign read: "Calls: 35 cents." Fascinated, he asked to talk to the Pastor.
"Reverend, I have been in cities all across the country and in each church I have found this golden telephone. I have been told it is a direct line to Heaven and that I could talk to God, but, in the other churches the cost was $10,000 a minute. Your sign reads 35 cents. Why?"
The Pastor, smiling benignly, replied, "Son, you're in Texas now... It's a local call."
Have a great weekend!
Leaves of the Book
A little boy opened the big Bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible. He picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that had been pressed in between the pages. "Mama, look what I found!" the boy called out.
"What have you got there, dear?"
With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered, "I think it's Adam's underwear!"
Waking Up for Church
One Sunday morning, a mother went in to wake her son and tell him it was time to get ready for church, to which he replied, "I'm not going."
"Why not?" she asked. "I'll give you two good reasons," he said. "One, they don't like me, and two, I don't like them."
His mother replied, "I'll give YOU two good reasons why you SHOULD go to church. One, you're 54 years old, and two, you're the pastor!"
Long-Distance Calls
A man in Topeka, Kansas decided to write a book about churches around the country. He started by flying to San Francisco and worked east from there. Going to a very large church, he began taking photographs and notes. He spotted a golden telephone on the vestibule wall and was intrigued by a sign which read: "$10,000 a minute." Seeking out the Pastor he asked about the phone and the sign. The Pastor explained that the golden phone was, in fact, a direct line to Heaven and if he paid the price he could talk directly to God. The man thanked the Pastor and continued on his way. As he continued to visit churches in Seattle, San Diego, Chicago, Greensboro, Tampa and all around the United States, he found more phones with the same sign and got the same answer from each Pastor.
Finally, he arrived in Texas. Upon entering a church in Dallas, behold, he saw the usual golden telephone. But THIS time, the sign read: "Calls: 35 cents." Fascinated, he asked to talk to the Pastor.
"Reverend, I have been in cities all across the country and in each church I have found this golden telephone. I have been told it is a direct line to Heaven and that I could talk to God, but, in the other churches the cost was $10,000 a minute. Your sign reads 35 cents. Why?"
The Pastor, smiling benignly, replied, "Son, you're in Texas now... It's a local call."
Have a great weekend!
Monday, September 10, 2007
COMFORT FOOD
I have to confess that I like comfort food! Well, actually, I like all kinds of food but that’s another story for another day. When life is treating me harshly, I counter the attack by raising up a barrier of comfort food. I have discovered a special defensive tool that can only be found in a cup of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee and several “old fashioned” donuts. This simple pleasure seems to blunt the sharp edge of the attack and has a calming effect on my soul—my whole outlook on life improves. Not quite as comforting to me, but still important, are chocolate chip cookies and any one of Baskin Robbins 37 Flavors (that’s ice cream, if you are from Missouri).
To my great delight I found that the Bible talks rather favorably about comfort food. “Now, Dave, don’t stray too far from orthodoxy,” some will say. Well, unbeliever, let me prove the point to you. In Genesis 18, three angels from the Lord appear to Abraham and Sarah. Abraham, ever the gracious host, rushes to the angels and extends an invitation of hospitality to them. He says, “And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said” (Genesis 18:5; also see Judges 19:5).
So there you have it! Comfort food is validated by no less than Abraham—and witnessed to by three angels! So, why are we talking about comfort food? Because there are times when we all need comfort and, frankly, I am delighted to know that the Bible has a lot to say about comfort, because I seem to need it frequently.
“Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). The rod represents the Word and the staff represents the Holy Spirit.
“…And walking in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit (paraklete), they were multiplied” (Acts 9:31). The ‘paraklete’ is the strengthening presence of the Holy Spirit.
“…that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4).
Another day I will write about the Holy Spirit, the Comforter (paraklete), but today lets think just about the comfort of the Scriptures for a couple minutes. My real affinity for comfort food cannot be satisfied in a coffee shop for a couple of dollars. I find much of my real comfort in the provision God has made for me through His Holy Spirit and the Word.
Do you have any favorite passages that just seem to be inexhaustible in their meaning and you return to over and over? When the onslaught heats up and it seems so very difficult to get into deep study, do you find yourself drawn to passages that ring with familiarity? When you begin to move toward those familiar passages, do you ever hear an accusatory voice saying, “Don’t do that, you’ve read that a hundred times. That’s just wrong; you’re a smarter person than that.” That is not the voice of the Lord nor is it your own spirit talking. What you are hearing is the voice of the enemy attempting to short-circuit you. Our enemy does not want you to receive God’s comfort; he wants to keep you away from God’s provision so he lies and accuses. The enemy wants you miserable and uncomfortable so he can trick you into a mistake. Stick your finger in the enemy’s eye by going straight to the passage and letting God’s Word minister to you!
I have a number of passages that I go to when the heat is on. Early in my life I was deeply ministered to by Psalm 34 (especially verses 4-7) and I have gone there hundreds of times over the years. Jeremiah chapter one is the passage I was reading when God called me into His service and I have returned to drink at that well more times than I can count. I have a special affinity with both of Paul’s letters to Timothy and have read, studied and preached from both of the books over and over. Recently I have spent a lot of time in Psalm 37 and have received great encouragement from this chapter.
There are other “comfort stations” for me in the Scriptures like Psalm 23 (which I have memorized), and Psalm 91. All the passages I have referred to and their application to me are what I believe Paul was referring to in Romans 15:4 when he spoke of the “comfort of the Scriptures.”
While the focus of this short devotional has been on comfort, I think it fitting that we end with the understanding of why Paul penned this word in Romans 15:4: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (King James Version). The patience (endurance) and the comfort that come to us through Scripture is that we might have hope. In a previous article I wrote at length about the biblical meaning of hope. Briefly stated (that will be a miracle for me to do), the Bible word hope has been defined as “the confident expectation that as God has worked for His people in the past, so He will again, for me!”
To my great delight I found that the Bible talks rather favorably about comfort food. “Now, Dave, don’t stray too far from orthodoxy,” some will say. Well, unbeliever, let me prove the point to you. In Genesis 18, three angels from the Lord appear to Abraham and Sarah. Abraham, ever the gracious host, rushes to the angels and extends an invitation of hospitality to them. He says, “And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said” (Genesis 18:5; also see Judges 19:5).
So there you have it! Comfort food is validated by no less than Abraham—and witnessed to by three angels! So, why are we talking about comfort food? Because there are times when we all need comfort and, frankly, I am delighted to know that the Bible has a lot to say about comfort, because I seem to need it frequently.
“Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). The rod represents the Word and the staff represents the Holy Spirit.
“…And walking in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit (paraklete), they were multiplied” (Acts 9:31). The ‘paraklete’ is the strengthening presence of the Holy Spirit.
“…that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4).
Another day I will write about the Holy Spirit, the Comforter (paraklete), but today lets think just about the comfort of the Scriptures for a couple minutes. My real affinity for comfort food cannot be satisfied in a coffee shop for a couple of dollars. I find much of my real comfort in the provision God has made for me through His Holy Spirit and the Word.
Do you have any favorite passages that just seem to be inexhaustible in their meaning and you return to over and over? When the onslaught heats up and it seems so very difficult to get into deep study, do you find yourself drawn to passages that ring with familiarity? When you begin to move toward those familiar passages, do you ever hear an accusatory voice saying, “Don’t do that, you’ve read that a hundred times. That’s just wrong; you’re a smarter person than that.” That is not the voice of the Lord nor is it your own spirit talking. What you are hearing is the voice of the enemy attempting to short-circuit you. Our enemy does not want you to receive God’s comfort; he wants to keep you away from God’s provision so he lies and accuses. The enemy wants you miserable and uncomfortable so he can trick you into a mistake. Stick your finger in the enemy’s eye by going straight to the passage and letting God’s Word minister to you!
I have a number of passages that I go to when the heat is on. Early in my life I was deeply ministered to by Psalm 34 (especially verses 4-7) and I have gone there hundreds of times over the years. Jeremiah chapter one is the passage I was reading when God called me into His service and I have returned to drink at that well more times than I can count. I have a special affinity with both of Paul’s letters to Timothy and have read, studied and preached from both of the books over and over. Recently I have spent a lot of time in Psalm 37 and have received great encouragement from this chapter.
There are other “comfort stations” for me in the Scriptures like Psalm 23 (which I have memorized), and Psalm 91. All the passages I have referred to and their application to me are what I believe Paul was referring to in Romans 15:4 when he spoke of the “comfort of the Scriptures.”
While the focus of this short devotional has been on comfort, I think it fitting that we end with the understanding of why Paul penned this word in Romans 15:4: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (King James Version). The patience (endurance) and the comfort that come to us through Scripture is that we might have hope. In a previous article I wrote at length about the biblical meaning of hope. Briefly stated (that will be a miracle for me to do), the Bible word hope has been defined as “the confident expectation that as God has worked for His people in the past, so He will again, for me!”
Friday, September 7, 2007
WOULD JESUS SHOP AT WAL-MART?
One of the things I did not miss while we were in Belgium was the immature behavior of the American church and especially the antics and statements of some of our “leaders.”
Large parts of Europe are very dark spiritually. The city of Ghent where we were for two weeks has a population of about 250,000. In a city of that size there are only ten evangelical Protestant churches, with a good-sized church there averaging 200 or less in attendance. In a very sad way, it was refreshing to be with people who do not live in the hypocrisy that is so prevalent in the American Protestant Church.
Since our return, I have been catching up on my mail and looking at the headlines. Recently I came across a news release with this headline: “Would Jesus Shop at Wal-mart?” and it goes on to say that 130 clergy members have signed an open letter to Wal-Mart. One of their questions is, “Can we shop at Wal-Mart without insulting God?” One of the primary spokesmen for this “politically correct” movement is a prominent pastor from Louisville, KY
It has become a part of the “politically correct” movement recently to attack Wal-Mart. One of the favorite arguments of the left leaning “PC” crowd is that the “big box” stores are putting the mom and pop stores out of business. If you don’t mind paying more for your groceries, then shop till you drop at a mom and pop. Here are a couple of statistics to keep in your mind—20% of all the groceries sold in the U.S. are sold through Wal-Mart. The average grocery shopper at a Wal-Mart store saves at least 15-17% on their grocery bill over any other major grocery chain. Does that sound like a bad deal? Only if you are a socialist!
Am I suggesting that Wal-Mart is a perfect company? No, absolutely not! I am sure that they are in need of readjustments in many, many areas.
Would Jesus shop at Wal-Mart? If you read your Bible at all, you know the answer to that one. Jesus would never do the politically correct thing of His day. When the Pharisees tried to corner him and “PC” him, He went and hung out with the publicans and sinners, which was very “un PC”. When the “PC” thing would have been to avoid the Samaritans, Jesus opened up a conversation with them that led to a spiritual awakening in their community. A rabbi (teacher) never talked to a Samaritan woman, not ever! Jesus didn’t care what the religious crowd thought or did, He did what He knew was right and went to those who were in need of Him and understood that they were in need. “Those that are religiously satisfied do not need or want God’s help in their lives, but those that recognize they are in need are the ones reaching out!” (my paraphrase of Mark 2:17)
I think that the more relevant question for the pastor from Louisville, Kentucky, would be: “If Jesus had a choice of coming to your church or going shopping at Wal-Mart, what would He do?” I see no indication that Jesus would have gone to the local air-conditioned center of politically correct religiosity. He would have been down at Wal-Mart, or at 7-11 or McDonald’s hanging out with the real people and teaching them how to enter the Kingdom of God. He would have gone to a park somewhere, gathered a few people around Him, and taught them what it really means to follow God. He would have fed them, blessed them, loved them and pointed them to real life in God.
Would Jesus shop at Wal-Mart? You betcha…and I do, too!
Large parts of Europe are very dark spiritually. The city of Ghent where we were for two weeks has a population of about 250,000. In a city of that size there are only ten evangelical Protestant churches, with a good-sized church there averaging 200 or less in attendance. In a very sad way, it was refreshing to be with people who do not live in the hypocrisy that is so prevalent in the American Protestant Church.
Since our return, I have been catching up on my mail and looking at the headlines. Recently I came across a news release with this headline: “Would Jesus Shop at Wal-mart?” and it goes on to say that 130 clergy members have signed an open letter to Wal-Mart. One of their questions is, “Can we shop at Wal-Mart without insulting God?” One of the primary spokesmen for this “politically correct” movement is a prominent pastor from Louisville, KY
It has become a part of the “politically correct” movement recently to attack Wal-Mart. One of the favorite arguments of the left leaning “PC” crowd is that the “big box” stores are putting the mom and pop stores out of business. If you don’t mind paying more for your groceries, then shop till you drop at a mom and pop. Here are a couple of statistics to keep in your mind—20% of all the groceries sold in the U.S. are sold through Wal-Mart. The average grocery shopper at a Wal-Mart store saves at least 15-17% on their grocery bill over any other major grocery chain. Does that sound like a bad deal? Only if you are a socialist!
Am I suggesting that Wal-Mart is a perfect company? No, absolutely not! I am sure that they are in need of readjustments in many, many areas.
Would Jesus shop at Wal-Mart? If you read your Bible at all, you know the answer to that one. Jesus would never do the politically correct thing of His day. When the Pharisees tried to corner him and “PC” him, He went and hung out with the publicans and sinners, which was very “un PC”. When the “PC” thing would have been to avoid the Samaritans, Jesus opened up a conversation with them that led to a spiritual awakening in their community. A rabbi (teacher) never talked to a Samaritan woman, not ever! Jesus didn’t care what the religious crowd thought or did, He did what He knew was right and went to those who were in need of Him and understood that they were in need. “Those that are religiously satisfied do not need or want God’s help in their lives, but those that recognize they are in need are the ones reaching out!” (my paraphrase of Mark 2:17)
I think that the more relevant question for the pastor from Louisville, Kentucky, would be: “If Jesus had a choice of coming to your church or going shopping at Wal-Mart, what would He do?” I see no indication that Jesus would have gone to the local air-conditioned center of politically correct religiosity. He would have been down at Wal-Mart, or at 7-11 or McDonald’s hanging out with the real people and teaching them how to enter the Kingdom of God. He would have gone to a park somewhere, gathered a few people around Him, and taught them what it really means to follow God. He would have fed them, blessed them, loved them and pointed them to real life in God.
Would Jesus shop at Wal-Mart? You betcha…and I do, too!
Monday, September 3, 2007
THE NIGHTSTICK OF GOD
We were living in Los Angeles and I had been invited to speak at a church in Wyoming. The independent church had been very supportive of the missionary evangelism program where I served on the leadership team and I was glad to visit them to minister and say thanks.
I flew into the little town on a commuter plane from Denver. The gracious pastor met me at the airport as I arrived late on a Saturday afternoon. I was to stay with the pastor and his family at the church parsonage and speak in three services the next day.
I knew I was in for an unusual time the moment I walked into the kitchen early Sunday morning. The pastor’s wife was fixing breakfast and when I said, “Good morning,” she smiled and greeted me. Then I glanced over and saw the pastor leaning against a counter, drinking a cup of coffee. He was dressed in a shiny black suit, clerical collar, and white patent leather cowboy boots. The thought flashed across my mind, “Now this is different!”
The morning services were excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed being there. The people were friendly and the services lively. I spoke in both morning services and was scheduled to speak in the evening service as well. Sunday night as the worship service was progressing, the pastor leaned over to me and asked, “Do you see that big guy on the second row? Remind me to tell you about him later.”
Later the pastor told me that the “big guy” was a deputy sheriff who had been a Christian for just a few months. Apparently this new believer was one of those who tried to find a Christian application for everything that happened to him. Just a few weeks prior, he and his partner had been called to a bar on the edge of town to break up a fight. By orders of the sheriff, one of the deputies was to break up the fight and the other was to stay off to the side and protect his partner from any interference.
Just a little insight about this town. It was a very western boomtown because of vast supplies of coal and oil in the area. The town was overrun with oil field workers and miners who worked the huge strip mines in the area. The workers were well paid and came into downtown to have a good time…and that often resulted in rowdy behavior.
When the two deputies walked into the bar, it was the new believer’s turn to protect his partner. The deputy waded into the fight in an attempt to separate two drunken women who were wrestling on the floor. Some of the cowboys and oil workers were enjoying the spectacle and did not like the interference of the lawman. They began to push and pull on the lawman and things began to heat up into a mini-riot.
Suddenly there was a huge shout from the newly converted deputy sheriff. He pulled his nightstick from its holder and bellowed at the top of his lungs, “With the jawbone of a donkey Samson slew a thousand Philistines and the world has yet to see what God is going to do with this nightstick!”
The whole bar fell silent as 15 to 20 drunken cowboys, oil field roughnecks and miners looked at the deputy with a certain amount of disbelief and wonderment. Even the scrappers on the floor stopped to see who would say something so outrageous, and in a moment the fighting and the near riot conditions had dissipated.
“And the world has yet to see what God is going to do with this nightstick.” There is something very simple and yet profound about that statement. Those who make the biggest statement for God are those who lay down their own agenda and allow themselves to be picked and wielded by the hand of God. In the words of Jesus, “And He said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will’” (Mark 14:36).
Samson’s choice of a donkey’s jawbone was a unique and unlikely choice of a weapon. When David went to battle against Goliath and chose to use a sling, again it was a unique choice and not one that we often see repeated in Scripture.
When God made us, He made each of us distinctive, one-of-a-kind and then He broke the mold. God seems to love to make something unique and then fashion it into a weapon that defies logic. “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 1:27).
When you come to the place where circumstances seem way beyond you and there is no logical answer, no way out, then you are very close to being in the right place for God to use you in a special and unique way. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).
“And the world has yet to see how God will use (insert your name here).”
Have a great week!
I flew into the little town on a commuter plane from Denver. The gracious pastor met me at the airport as I arrived late on a Saturday afternoon. I was to stay with the pastor and his family at the church parsonage and speak in three services the next day.
I knew I was in for an unusual time the moment I walked into the kitchen early Sunday morning. The pastor’s wife was fixing breakfast and when I said, “Good morning,” she smiled and greeted me. Then I glanced over and saw the pastor leaning against a counter, drinking a cup of coffee. He was dressed in a shiny black suit, clerical collar, and white patent leather cowboy boots. The thought flashed across my mind, “Now this is different!”
The morning services were excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed being there. The people were friendly and the services lively. I spoke in both morning services and was scheduled to speak in the evening service as well. Sunday night as the worship service was progressing, the pastor leaned over to me and asked, “Do you see that big guy on the second row? Remind me to tell you about him later.”
Later the pastor told me that the “big guy” was a deputy sheriff who had been a Christian for just a few months. Apparently this new believer was one of those who tried to find a Christian application for everything that happened to him. Just a few weeks prior, he and his partner had been called to a bar on the edge of town to break up a fight. By orders of the sheriff, one of the deputies was to break up the fight and the other was to stay off to the side and protect his partner from any interference.
Just a little insight about this town. It was a very western boomtown because of vast supplies of coal and oil in the area. The town was overrun with oil field workers and miners who worked the huge strip mines in the area. The workers were well paid and came into downtown to have a good time…and that often resulted in rowdy behavior.
When the two deputies walked into the bar, it was the new believer’s turn to protect his partner. The deputy waded into the fight in an attempt to separate two drunken women who were wrestling on the floor. Some of the cowboys and oil workers were enjoying the spectacle and did not like the interference of the lawman. They began to push and pull on the lawman and things began to heat up into a mini-riot.
Suddenly there was a huge shout from the newly converted deputy sheriff. He pulled his nightstick from its holder and bellowed at the top of his lungs, “With the jawbone of a donkey Samson slew a thousand Philistines and the world has yet to see what God is going to do with this nightstick!”
The whole bar fell silent as 15 to 20 drunken cowboys, oil field roughnecks and miners looked at the deputy with a certain amount of disbelief and wonderment. Even the scrappers on the floor stopped to see who would say something so outrageous, and in a moment the fighting and the near riot conditions had dissipated.
“And the world has yet to see what God is going to do with this nightstick.” There is something very simple and yet profound about that statement. Those who make the biggest statement for God are those who lay down their own agenda and allow themselves to be picked and wielded by the hand of God. In the words of Jesus, “And He said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will’” (Mark 14:36).
Samson’s choice of a donkey’s jawbone was a unique and unlikely choice of a weapon. When David went to battle against Goliath and chose to use a sling, again it was a unique choice and not one that we often see repeated in Scripture.
When God made us, He made each of us distinctive, one-of-a-kind and then He broke the mold. God seems to love to make something unique and then fashion it into a weapon that defies logic. “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 1:27).
When you come to the place where circumstances seem way beyond you and there is no logical answer, no way out, then you are very close to being in the right place for God to use you in a special and unique way. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).
“And the world has yet to see how God will use (insert your name here).”
Have a great week!
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