PL’s Postings are intended to encourage people to know and enjoy the God who loves us and makes Himself known to us in Jesus Christ. It is the author’s hope that his readers will discover for themselves again and again what it means that they are loved by God and that this discovery will lead them onward in the greatest adventure in the universe—living by faith with the One whose love never fails.
January 20, 2014
Can you remember when you thought, "amen" meant something like "the end"? Of course that was an understandable error. It was the way we ended prayers. Now you know that it is an affirmation of what has been said previously--"so be it!" Well, another oft misunderstood word in the churchgoing world is, " benediction." Since it is often the last thing on the formal order of service, it can easily been thought of as an ending. In fact benediction really means, spoken blessing, or more literally, good saying. For centuries English speaking believers have shared the following benediction as they dismiss their time together. It is found in many liturgical sources. I am taking it from the pages of COMMON PRAYER. "May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you; may he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm; may he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you; may he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors." You might try meditating on this benediction and even praying it over you family and friends. Ask the Lord to show you ways of employing these good sayings with your family. What a great way to send one another off into a new day or a new year! January 21, 2014 B. J. Thomas sang of, "...loving things and using people..." When possessions become objects of love they can easily become points of separation between people. It was so for Abram and Lot, "..for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together." (Genesis 13:6b ESV) A sad testimony to perverted priorities. Love people, use things. January 22, 2014 Prayer for Generosity Lord Jesus, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to seek reward, except that of knowing that I do your will. Amen. —St. Ignatius of Loyola Now just what was it you were complaining about? January 23 ,2014 "O you who hears our prayer, to you shall all flesh come. When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions." Psalm 65:2-3 God is inevitable. What would we do if our inevitable encounter with him were not covered with his atonement for our sins? January 27,2014 "But you, O Lord, laught at them; you hold all the nations in derision. O my Strength, I will watch for you, for you, O God, are my fortress." Pslam 59:8-9 God laughs at the pretentious arrogance of even nations with all their vaunted powers. Because he laughs at his enemies we can, too. Nothing puts the fearful posturing of our enemies into proper persective like a good laugh! Our fortress, Our God is less conceerned by his enemies than an elephant would be with an ant. Ratios compare this to that. The transportation industry in an effort to help motorists grasp the danger of railroad crossings uses this ratio: as a passenger car hitting an empty soda pop can so is a train hitting a passenger car. Now consider this, our God is the railroad train and his enemies (ours too) are soda cans! Rediculous. In the confident faith of our mighty God, we can and should laugh at the puny enemies which seem so threateneing when we forget that we are on the Train. Laugh it up, Christ-follower. January 29, 2014 There is a divine work taking place in the womb of every expectant mother. "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb." Psalm 139:13 February 6, 2014 "That I may know him and the power of his resurrection," Philippians 3:10 ESV The Who, of rock fame asked the question, "Who are you, who, who, who, who?" That question resonates with the Apostle's heart and the hearts of all followers of Christ since. The great thing is this: He is knowable! February 27, 21014 Jesus, Luke tells us in chapter 9, took Peter, James, and John up on the mountain with him. This was to become the Mount of Transfiguration where the glory of the Lord Jesus was displayed and they beheld it. One question for you to consider, how did they get up that mountain? They certainly didn't take a tram, a bus, or a helicopter lift, right? They walked/climbed up the mountian. How did they do that? The answer is so obvious that it is taken for granted and easily overlooked. They followed a path up the mountian to the place of Transfiguration, of the presence of the Lord in His glory. Over the next 40 or so days, Lent begins on Wednesday the 5th, won't you join me in finding and following paths the Lord will use to lead us into His presence? Perhaps a glory refreshing awaits us all! April 1, 2014 Yes, I'm back and it isn't April Fools, either. Between traveling and illness and calling an Associate Pastor over the past month I simply didn't make any further contributions to this site. But here goes again. "Lord, our efforts at faithfulness are fraught with failure more often that we want to admit. Yet, it is in the admission (confession) that your forgiveness is released to us. Thank you that your love for us is never wasted. Keep us rooted in your worked, eating at your table, and praying by your Spirit, so that we may remember that when we fail (sin) we are part of your family not because we deserve to be , but because you want us and have done everything needed to ensure our presence in your family." COMMON PRAYER adapted by PL April 3, 2014 C.S. Lewis, noted British teacher and author who converted to Christianity as an adult writes in his book about his early years, "I have been a converted Pagan, living among apostate Puritans." SURPRISED BY JOY, pg.69 Could it be that many if not most of those attending church in America are more in the category of "apostate Puritans" than that of "converted Pagans"? One thing is for sure, there is nothing like an apostate Puritan for self-righteous religion, critical and judgmental spirit, and unabashed hypocrisy. Hear the words of the Apostle John, "Do not love the world or the things in the world." Converted Pagans are falling out of love with the world and into love with God. Apostate Puritans declare love for God while carrying on a secret affair with the world and the things in the world. April 11, 2014 Reportedly, one of America's Robber Barons (those men who built enormous financial empires while exploiting the huddled masses of immigrants and national resources of the U.S., during it's development from unsettled frontier to industrialization) replied to the question, "How much money is enough," with this answer, "Just a little more." That spirit of acquisition seems to pervade the American soul. We want more. Regardless of how much we have, we are fascinated with the prospect of getting more. Once our houses are full, we rent storage space to house the "more" we acquire. We are overfed and overweight, yet we hunger for more. Catalogues fill our mailboxes with offers of more from the same places where we just purchased similar items. And we look at them and desire more. While around us and around the world, there are innumerable Christ-followers who have not enough to eat, wear, or do with. Doesn't the Holy Spirit convict us of our selfish, materialistic lust for more? Have we no sense of the Kingdom and the responsibility incumbent upon those who have been given much? Lord, have mercy upon us and break our hearts with our misguided consumption of more and more. I want to invite you to pray with me for God's grace to share. We have been given much, American Christ-followers, we must share much. Much is expected of us. Repenting from our lust to get more, let us turn to seek grace to share more. What would it look like in the Kingdom of God, if we in the American Church were to be overcome with passion to share more, ever share more? Instead of spending our efforts to get more, let us devote ourselves to SHARE MORE! May our passion and ability for acquisition be fueled with the holy heartbeat to SHARE MORE, Christ-followers in America! October 30, 2014 In a few weeks (November 16) our church will ordain its associate pastor to the gospel ministry. He will, in effect, join the ranks of the paid, professional ministry with the due certification and documentation to confirm that status. This is a good and worthy thing that our church and this young man do. But, it does give rise to the consideration of the Christian tradition of clergy and laity. With no intent to explore the history of this tradition let us simply point out that when this tradition leads us to view a select few in the Kingdom of God as ministers while the rest of us are merely Christian believers it does a great dis-service to the King and His Kingdom. Rather than two categories of Christians the Bible presents the very clear mandate that every believer is by dint of their faith in Christ a minister of His. The commission of Matthew 28:18-20 includes us all, Christians. It is quite correct that not all are called to pastor churches, but it is very clear that all are called to live their lives in faith and obedience and service as ministers of the One in whom they have believed. The Lord has you in your life situation to minister for His glory. This realization raises the so-called mundane to the realm of the glorious. Your place in His kingdom is not primarily your volunteer service at church, Believer. That place is reserved for your family, your work, your neighbors, and your community. You are uniquely positioned to be His minister in these relationships and places. Jesus did not send His disciples out to serve in the church. He sent them out to serve in the world so that the church would be built. How does the Lord want you to serve Him in your family, your work place, or your community? Commit yourself to be His minister and ask Him to direct you to do His ministry. The results can turn the world upside down. |