Category Archives: Church & Worship

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August 4, 2015

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Church & Worship, God's Grace & Love, God's Promises, Love & Works, Money & Wealth, Sharing Our Faith

THE GRACE PROJECT – PART 1 (GIVING)

Let us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift he gave us in his dear Son! For by the blood of Christ we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven. How great is the grace of God, which he gave to us in such large measure! [Ephesians 1:6-7 (GNT)]

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Several years ago, the pastor at our Colorado church preached a series on grace. Since God’s grace is both extravagant and unearned, he wanted the community to receive some unmerited gifts from our church as an expression of God’s grace. Anyone who wanted to participate in this demonstration received a ten dollar bill and was asked to use the money in a way that would spread God’s grace and love.

Members of the Spanish congregation made tamales and delivered them to the people vital to the migrant population in the community: the social service workers and volunteers at the food pantry and re-sale shop. When they walked into the offices of the food pantry with their tamales, imagine the surprise when the staff and volunteers realized that someone was bringing them food instead of taking it away! That same joy and surprise was expressed when a wagonload of tamales was pulled into the area social services’ office.

The teen youth group met the challenge by sharing God’s grace with the local police and sheriff’s deputies. Thinking that donuts were too predictable a gift for law enforcement, the teens purchased assorted breath mints and gum and delivered them to the officers. Smiles were shared all around and some of God’s grace was passed along.

One family combined their money and then doubled it with their own donations. Learning of a student who was unable to participate in a field trip because of the expense, they arranged a scholarship for her by finding another donor who would match their funds. A Bible study group knew of a family in need of assistance and decided to prepare and freeze dinners and to give to them. The group then agreed to continue this practice every month for a different family in need. When a church member’s co-worker broke into tears of frustration at work, she gave her the ten dollar grace gift with the instructions to take a break at Starbucks and enjoy a latte and muffin.

The final experiment in passing along God’s grace was when members of the congregation donated money so that free gas could be offered to the community. One Sunday, a special offering of $5,000 was collected. The following Saturday, seventy volunteers manned the pumps at two gas stations. Church members pumped ten dollars of gas into the tank of any car that arrived at the stations. While they were at it, they even washed car windows! There was no catch or hidden agenda to getting the free gas; nobody had to listen to a spiritual message and no religious pamphlets were distributed. The only things shared were smiles, free gas, and God’s love. In fact, when a few cars were still in line after the money ran out, volunteers paid for the last gallons of gas from their own pockets! Over five hundred people received a bit of grace that afternoon!

The point of all this: God’s grace is epic and extravagant; it’s totally unearned and underserved. All we have to do is accept it and then share it.

The secret of life is that all we have and are is a gift of grace to be shared. [Lloyd John Ogilvie]

Since you excel is so many ways – in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us – I want you to excel in this gracious act of giving. [2 Corinthians 8:7 (NLT)]

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August 3, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Church & Worship, God's Grace & Love, Love & Works, Money & Wealth

ON VACATION

There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need. [Deuteronomy 15:11 (NLT)]

If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. [1 John 3:17-18 (NLT)]

DSC08043-cropwebbNow that August has arrived, it seems like everyone is taking a vacation. People are retreating to the beach, a cabin in the woods, Grandma’s, or maybe just to the back yard. The Senate and House of Representatives are even taking a break (which could actually be good news for the nation). I don’t know if all the New York psychiatrists really left for the Hamptons but (more calamitous for me) my hair dresser has gone to the Wisconsin Dells.

Even though God doesn’t physically need to take a rest from his daily work, do you suppose He ever wants to get away from it all? Does He tire of the endless complaints, sorrowful pleas, and anxious appeals he gets 24/7? Does He ever get weary of forgiving the same sins over and over again? Does He yearn to escape from the clamor and confusion of this mixed up world of ours? Thankfully, our heavenly Father is truly a God of endless patience, boundless energy, and limitless love. Even when we take off from work, turn off our cell phones and stop answering emails, He continues to receive our calls; His door remains open all day long every day of the year.

God never takes a break and, unfortunately, neither does the tremendous need for Christian love and works. Charities and churches don’t take vacations and neither does the need for their services. Sadly, as volunteers and donations disappear over the summer months, their resources to meet those needs diminish as well. While we take vacations, poverty, hardship, and affliction never do. Offering envelopes and church pews may go empty but so do the stomachs of hungry children everywhere. The tremendous needs of the less fortunate don’t take a holiday but the ability to fill those needs does. So, on our way out of town, maybe we should drop off some food at the local food pantry, visit the area blood bank, and write that tithe and offering check to our church (and a few more to the charities of our choice). God never takes a break from loving his children and neither should we!

Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. [Galatians 6:10 (NLT)]

Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need. [Proverbs 21:13 (NLT)]

 

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July 28, 2015

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Church & Worship, God's Grace & Love, God's Word: The Bible, Knowing Him, Salvation: A New You, Sharing Our Faith, Wisdom & Guidance

CONFUSED?

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved. We believe with our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we declare with our mouths that we believe, and so we are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed.” [Romans 10:9-11 (NCV)]

meerkat-LPZoo5webAt my favorite ski resort, the lift line crew often posts riddles or trivia questions on a board at the bottom of the lift; the answers are usually revealed at the top. One day last winter, the question was, ”What is greater than God? The poor have it, the rich need it and, if you eat it, you will die!” I pondered the riddle while riding to the top of the run and was perturbed that someone would think anything or anyone was greater than God, even in a silly riddle. Seeing no answer posted at the top, I skied back down to get it. When I complained that nothing had been written on the upper board, the lift op replied, “You’ve just said the answer!” Duh! I’d completely ignored the obvious response while concentrating on the second part of the riddle. By focusing on the rich, the poor and some sort of poison, I’d missed the first and obvious response. Nothing is greater than God! The poor have nothing, the rich need nothing, and if we eat nothing, we’ll die!

I made a simple riddle far more complicated than necessary, something we often do with our faith. For example, during Bible study someone asked what would happen to our dogs during the Rapture. While it made for a fascinating discussion (did you know some non-Christians offer “After the Rapture” pet care?), the various Christian views about the end times are perplexing. As for me, I’m not going to complicate my faith by worrying about pets during the Rapture. We have a loving God and I’m sure He’s got everything planned out quite thoroughly.

It’s admirable that some people want to dig deep into questions of theology, doctrine and dogma. It’s incredibly easy for us, however, to get bogged down in complex and unclear issues that make Christianity and the Bible far more difficult than they need be. Our relationship with God won’t suffer if we can’t hold forth on subjects like the Rapture and tribulation, annihilationism, predestination, Calvinism, Arminianism, and the various doctrinal differences between denominations. Trying to come to terms with the minute details can keep us from the big picture: having a relationship with God the Father, believing in his Son Jesus Christ, and feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

We don’t have to be theologians to be Christians; we just have to be followers of Christ. It’s not necessary to know Greek or Hebrew to read or understand the Bible. Attendance at seminary isn’t a prerequisite for prayer; it’s no more difficult than talking on the phone. We don’t have to take lessons in how to worship to be able to lift our hearts in praise and no evangelism seminar is required for us to share God’s message of love. Remember, we have a God who designed caterpillars that become butterflies, doesn’t repeat fingerprints, keeps our solar system functioning flawlessly, turns tiny acorns into giant oaks, gives us incredible rainbows, and made crying babies loveable. Certainly the Lord, being that powerful and resourceful, was able to create us in such a way that having faith, understanding His word, saying a prayer, offering praise and thanksgiving and sharing His message are well within our capabilities.

God made the earth by his power. He used his wisdom to build the world and his understanding to stretch out the skies. [Jeremiah 10:10 (NCV)]

I alone am the Lord. I made the light and the darkness. I bring peace, and I cause troubles. I, the Lord, do all these things. [Isaiah 45:6b-7 (NCV)]

 

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July 11, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Church & Worship, Love & Works, Money & Wealth, Obedience

IGNORING THEIR CRIES

So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat a meal. [Genesis 37:23-25a (NKJV)]

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Recently, in our nation’s capital, four people were murdered and their home set ablaze. It was DNA left on a pizza crust that quickly led police to the alleged killer. While this was an astounding piece of detective work, what astonishes me most is that, while holding four people hostage, four people likely pleading desperately for their lives, someone could calmly eat a pizza. How could anyone have an appetite while plotting murder? Yet, someone did and he’s not alone; that’s exactly what Joseph’s brothers did.

You remember Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, the handsome one with the coat of many colors. When his jealous brothers conspired to kill him, Reuben (thinking he might rescue his younger brother later) suggested they throw him into a dry cistern and leave him to the mercy of the elements. After tossing Joseph like a piece of garbage into a pit, the brothers all sat down to eat. Boys being boys, perhaps Joseph thought it was just a brotherly prank and his siblings would soon let him out of the well. “Come on guys, I’m hungry and thirsty. Help me up so I can have some lunch. I’ll even share my coat with you!” But, when he heard his brothers discuss selling him into slavery to some Ishmaelite traders, it began to dawn on him that he was in serious trouble and they weren’t joking. Can you imagine the cries of the terrified youth once he realized what was happening and the danger of his situation? While Joseph pled for his life, his brothers ignored his cries and enjoyed their meal. Can you imagine how he must have begged for their mercy, much as the DC family probably begged for their lives? Unlike the pizza eating criminal, Joseph’s brothers didn’t plan an outright murder; they were going to leave that to the slave traders. But, like that killer in DC, they knew their victim’s anguish and refused to hear his cries.

While we’re not likely to invade a home and kill its occupants or throw someone into a pit and sell him into slavery, we’re not all that different from Joseph’s brothers and the suspected murderer in DC. We may not be plotting murder and mayhem, but we do ignore the desperate cries of those in need and, by ignoring their cries, condemn them to lives of misery or death. While calmly enjoying meals in the comfort of our homes, do we turn a deaf ear to the voices of the hungry? Do we turn our backs on our less fortunate brothers and sisters—the poor, homeless, sick, or victimized? This morning I saw a sign on a church that read, “Be the Church—Fight for the Powerless.” We can’t do that if we ignore their cries!

We must never minimize the suffering of another. Scripture’s mandate to us is, “Weep with them that weep.” [Billy Graham]

Then they said to one another, “We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us.” [Genesis 42:21(NKJV)]

And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. [Luke 6:31 (NKJV)]

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July 1, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Church & Worship, Nature, Today: Make it Count, Wisdom & Guidance

WEEDS

He [Jesus] answered, “The one who plants the good seeds is the Son of Man. The field is the world. The good seeds are those who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted them is the devil.” [Matthew 13: 37-39 (NLT)]

7-1-15thistle (Canadian)-LGenWI572-cropwebI love thistles—when I’m taking their pictures in the woods. I discovered I don’t much care for them when they’re in my garden. But, there they were, along with dandelions, knotweed, clover, sorrel, mint, chives, prickly lettuce and other unidentified weeds in what used to be my rose garden. Months of neglect had taken its toll on our plant beds and only a few pink rose petals were even visible in the tangled mess. At one time, this had been a well-established and properly tended garden, but our more than nine month absence for two years in a row allowed the weeds to prevail.

My husband and I were faced with a dilemma similar to the one God faced with Sodom: in ours, far too many weeds and in His, far too many sinners. Because Abraham pled with God, the righteous Lot and his family were saved from destruction but the rest of the sinful city was destroyed. In the case of our garden, however, the two remaining stunted rose bushes had no one to plead for them and were pulled up along with the weeds. Unlike God, we swept away the innocent with the guilty! After thoroughly removing every plant, we started fresh, only this time with zebra grass that, hopefully, will better survive our neglectful gardening.

As we worked, I thought of Jesus’ parables about the farmers who sowed their seeds. One farmer planted seeds on different kinds of ground. The seeds sown on the quality soil produced a good harvest and represented those who heard and understood God’s word—people of faith. In another parable, Jesus told of a farmer who had planted good seeds in quality soil only to learn that his field had weeds. The weeds, planted by the enemy, were scheduled for future destruction. Looking at my garden, I knew it wasn’t Satan, but rather neglect, that had caused my weeds. It suffered from lack of attention; there had been no cultivating, watering, pruning, fertilizer, or weed pulling.

We can have a firmly established faith but, like our garden, faith can’t be ignored or neglected; it must be nurtured. Without cultivating our faith with church and fellowship, watering it with His word, pruning it with prayer, fertilizing it with service, and vigorous weed pulling with confession and repentance, our faith can’t thrive. The enemy will be able to take over and destroy the garden of our lives. Without consistent care, our faith won’t flourish; it will be weak or die like my roses.

As for me, now that I’m done with the house garden, I plan on doing some serious work in the garden of my faith. I don’t want to give the enemy a foothold and end up being swept away with the wicked or burnt with the weeds. How about you? Do you have any gardening that needs to be done?

The Lord remained with Abraham. Abraham approached him and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked? [Genesis 18:22b-23 (NLT)]

When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it. [Hebrews 6:7-8 (NLT)]

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May 7, 2015

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Church & Worship, Holidays & Holy Days, Obedience, Prayer, Wisdom & Guidance

DO THE WAVE

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Listen to Your servant’s prayer and his petition, Lord my God, so that You may hear the cry and the prayer that Your servant prays before You today, [1 Kings 8:28 (HCSB)]

In 2008, 157,574 fans at the Bristol Motor Speedway participated in the world’s largest audience wave. Successive groups of spectators briefly stood, yelled as they raised their arms and then quickly returned to their seats. The Bristol wave traveled around the stadium in a continuous circuit four times for a distance of two miles. Today, we have an opportunity to participate in a much larger wave: a wave of prayer. The first Thursday of May is designated as the National Day of Prayer. At noon, the same prayer will be simultaneously offered throughout our nation. Unlike an audience wave, there’s no need to be in a stadium or arena. You can pray wherever you happen to be. Can you imagine how many hundreds of thousands could participate in this wave of prayer that will stretch over 2,800 miles across just the continental U.S? Add Hawaii and that wave of prayer would travel about 5,000 miles! Today at noon, please join thousands of others and offer this prayer for our nation.

[2015 National Prayer by Dr. Jack Graham]

 Heavenly Father,

We come to You in the Name that is above every name—Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Our hearts cry out to You. Knowing that You are a prayer-answering, faithful God—the One we trust in times like these—we ask that You renew our spirits, revive our churches, and heal our land.

We repent of our sins and ask for Your grace and power to save us. Hear our cry, oh God, and pour out Your Spirit upon us that we may walk in obedience to Your Word. We are desperate for Your tender mercies. We are broken and humbled before You. Forgive us, and in the power of Your great love, lift us up to live in Your righteousness.

We pray for our beloved nation. May we repent and return to You and be a light to the nations. And we pray for our leaders and ask that You give them wisdom and faith to follow You. Preserve and protect us, for You are our refuge and only hope. Deliver us from all fears except to fear You, and may we courageously stand in the Truth that sets us free.

We pray with expectant faith and grateful hearts. In Jesus’ name, our Savior. Amen.