What causes fights and quarrels among you?
Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?
You want something but don't get it.
You kill and covet but you cannot have what you want.
You quarrel and fight.
You do not have, because you do not ask God.
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives,
that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
(James 4:1-3, NIV italics added)
Does this hit you like a splash of cold water in the face?
It would be bad enough if James was writing to non-believers.
But he's writing to The Church.
May we allow the Spirit to check our attitude and motives.
May we beg Him to remove anything He finds in us that is anti-Christ, opposite of Jesus.
May we follow His word in verses 7:
Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Come near to God and he will come near to you.
Wash your hands, you sinners,
and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Grieve, mourn and wail...
Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up. (James 4:7ff)
Grace & peace
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
What causes fights and quarrels among you?
Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?
You want something but don't get it.
You kill and covet but you cannot have what you want.
You quarrel and fight.
You do not have, because you do not ask God.
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives,
that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
(James 4:1-3, NIV italics added)
Does this hit you like a splash of cold water in the face?
It would be bad enough if James was writing to non-believers.
But he's writing to The Church.
May we allow the Spirit to check our attitude and motives.
May we beg Him to remove anything He finds in us that is anti-Christ, opposite of Jesus.
May we follow His word in verses 7:
Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Come near to God and he will come near to you.
Wash your hands, you sinners,
and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Grieve, mourn and wail...
Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up. (James 4:7ff)
Grace & peace
Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?
You want something but don't get it.
You kill and covet but you cannot have what you want.
You quarrel and fight.
You do not have, because you do not ask God.
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives,
that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
(James 4:1-3, NIV italics added)
Does this hit you like a splash of cold water in the face?
It would be bad enough if James was writing to non-believers.
But he's writing to The Church.
May we allow the Spirit to check our attitude and motives.
May we beg Him to remove anything He finds in us that is anti-Christ, opposite of Jesus.
May we follow His word in verses 7:
Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Come near to God and he will come near to you.
Wash your hands, you sinners,
and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Grieve, mourn and wail...
Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up. (James 4:7ff)
Grace & peace
Monday, October 27, 2008
1 in 6 Billion
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you:
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought,
but rather, think of yourself with sober judgment
in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. (Romans 12:3, NIV)
I read it today and it struck me.
It is probably not a new thought.
But I wanted to share it with you.
Paraphrasing Dr. John Bowling, "You are the only person in the universe. All of the other people are someone else."
Now this not might strike you as profound, but think about it for a moment.
If I am 6 in a billion, isn't it absurd to live my life SOLELY focused on ME?
If I go through today thinking only of myself, think of all the others I have ignored.
May God help you today to "think of yourself with sober judgment".
Not thinking too much...
or too little....
of myself.
But in the proper perspective of a created being for whom Jesus Christ died.
Grace & Peace
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought,
but rather, think of yourself with sober judgment
in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. (Romans 12:3, NIV)
I read it today and it struck me.
It is probably not a new thought.
But I wanted to share it with you.
Paraphrasing Dr. John Bowling, "You are the only person in the universe. All of the other people are someone else."
Now this not might strike you as profound, but think about it for a moment.
If I am 6 in a billion, isn't it absurd to live my life SOLELY focused on ME?
If I go through today thinking only of myself, think of all the others I have ignored.
May God help you today to "think of yourself with sober judgment".
Not thinking too much...
or too little....
of myself.
But in the proper perspective of a created being for whom Jesus Christ died.
Grace & Peace
Monday, October 20, 2008
A Hand Up & Hinds' Feet
Ever feel like you are facing an insurmountable task?
Maybe it is debt that has gotten out of control.
Maybe it is a habit that has begun to master your life.
Maybe it is relationship that seems irreparable.
I came across an account of a someone who was literally facing an obstacle he couldn't get over. In Making the Climb: What a Novice Climber Learned About Life on Mt. Kilimanjaro, Dr. John C. Bowling writes the following as he is several days into his journey.
"(T)he long climb straight up turns out to be even more difficult that I had imagined. As I start the climb, I tell myself, 'If they' (the group of people he was climbing with) 'can do it, I can do it.' But about a third up the face of the wall, I can barely take one step after the next, pulling myself upward, stretching to get a handhold,and leaning into the face of the rock to keep my balance. 'Just take the next step,' I keep telling myself."
He continues, "I do my best to forget about the height of the wall and concentrate on what is just before me. Often I need both hands to pull myself where I can get a narrow foothold. I dare not look down."
"Freddie, (one of the guides) calls to me from just above, 'How are you doing John?'
'Not well, this is really tough.'
'Take a minute to catch your breath. You can make it.'"
Bowling goes onto describe climbing through "thick vegetation" and "sharp volcanic edges". He writes, "Each time this happens, my strength dissipates all the more. Finally, I stop. I just cannot go on."
About that time another climber passes him and asks if he is OK. Bowling responds, "I don't think I can make it."
It is that moment the guide begins to take charge. "Give me your pack."
Bowling writes, "That hits me hard. For to give my pack to someone else to carry is to admit my weakness in a very open and obvious way. Part of the code of the climb is that everyone must carry his or her own weight; yet here I am unable to go on. But after a few moments I slowly slip off my backpack and Freddie slings it over his shoulder. He must now carry his pack and mine. He pats me on the arm as he says quietly, 'It's all right, John, we'll do this together. Just put your foot right here.' With his encouragement giving me strength, I take a step, then another, and another. Without the weight of the pack, climbing seems a little easier.'"
Eventually, John and Freddie make it to the flat where the rest of the party is waiting. Dr. John Bowling, college president writes, "They had to wait on me. My whole life is about leadership, but now I can barely follow. My ego now aches more than my legs and shoulders. However no one is smug as I struggle to find a place to sit down. It has been hard for everyone."
As I read those words, I think of what the Psalmist wrote:
He maketh my feet like hinds' feet and setteth me upon high places. (Psalm 18:33, KJV)
If you're not used to King James' English, a modern translation makes it easier to understand:
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights (NIV).
Notice several things about this story:
First, the journey is hard for everyone at some point. Some swim well. Others climb well. Eventually we will all hit a rough patch. As often as we say it and much as we know it to be true, we still get surprised when the tough times come. But a well-phrased reminder can help us find our bearings again.
Second, as someone once said, "The help helps." When we come to that difficult place, being open to others who are experienced or strong or simply helpful can make our journey at best, enjoyable, and at worst, tolerable. May you find friends for the journey and be open to their hand when they offer it.
Third, there is an Unseen Guide who offers to enable us to scale the face of the mountain in order for us to stand on the heights. May you allow The Guide to take charge, not only of the difficult places, but throughout the journey. He knows the way.
Grace & peace
Maybe it is debt that has gotten out of control.
Maybe it is a habit that has begun to master your life.
Maybe it is relationship that seems irreparable.
I came across an account of a someone who was literally facing an obstacle he couldn't get over. In Making the Climb: What a Novice Climber Learned About Life on Mt. Kilimanjaro, Dr. John C. Bowling writes the following as he is several days into his journey.
"(T)he long climb straight up turns out to be even more difficult that I had imagined. As I start the climb, I tell myself, 'If they' (the group of people he was climbing with) 'can do it, I can do it.' But about a third up the face of the wall, I can barely take one step after the next, pulling myself upward, stretching to get a handhold,and leaning into the face of the rock to keep my balance. 'Just take the next step,' I keep telling myself."
He continues, "I do my best to forget about the height of the wall and concentrate on what is just before me. Often I need both hands to pull myself where I can get a narrow foothold. I dare not look down."
"Freddie, (one of the guides) calls to me from just above, 'How are you doing John?'
'Not well, this is really tough.'
'Take a minute to catch your breath. You can make it.'"
Bowling goes onto describe climbing through "thick vegetation" and "sharp volcanic edges". He writes, "Each time this happens, my strength dissipates all the more. Finally, I stop. I just cannot go on."
About that time another climber passes him and asks if he is OK. Bowling responds, "I don't think I can make it."
It is that moment the guide begins to take charge. "Give me your pack."
Bowling writes, "That hits me hard. For to give my pack to someone else to carry is to admit my weakness in a very open and obvious way. Part of the code of the climb is that everyone must carry his or her own weight; yet here I am unable to go on. But after a few moments I slowly slip off my backpack and Freddie slings it over his shoulder. He must now carry his pack and mine. He pats me on the arm as he says quietly, 'It's all right, John, we'll do this together. Just put your foot right here.' With his encouragement giving me strength, I take a step, then another, and another. Without the weight of the pack, climbing seems a little easier.'"
Eventually, John and Freddie make it to the flat where the rest of the party is waiting. Dr. John Bowling, college president writes, "They had to wait on me. My whole life is about leadership, but now I can barely follow. My ego now aches more than my legs and shoulders. However no one is smug as I struggle to find a place to sit down. It has been hard for everyone."
As I read those words, I think of what the Psalmist wrote:
He maketh my feet like hinds' feet and setteth me upon high places. (Psalm 18:33, KJV)
If you're not used to King James' English, a modern translation makes it easier to understand:
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights (NIV).
Notice several things about this story:
First, the journey is hard for everyone at some point. Some swim well. Others climb well. Eventually we will all hit a rough patch. As often as we say it and much as we know it to be true, we still get surprised when the tough times come. But a well-phrased reminder can help us find our bearings again.
Second, as someone once said, "The help helps." When we come to that difficult place, being open to others who are experienced or strong or simply helpful can make our journey at best, enjoyable, and at worst, tolerable. May you find friends for the journey and be open to their hand when they offer it.
Third, there is an Unseen Guide who offers to enable us to scale the face of the mountain in order for us to stand on the heights. May you allow The Guide to take charge, not only of the difficult places, but throughout the journey. He knows the way.
Grace & peace
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Why Does God Think of Me?
In his book "Making the Climb: Thoughts of a Novice Climber on Mt. Kilimanjaro", Dr. John Bowling talks about his first night on the climb. After a first day of strenuous physical activity, he pauses at the camp. As he looks up he writes that it was if he had noticed the stars for the first time at that very moment. Then, he says, his mind went to the passage of scripture he had memorized for his epic journey.
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise
because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the sea.
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8, NIV)
You may not be under the stars in Africa right now. But may you be struck with the sense of awe and wonder when you think about this fact: The Creator of the Universe cares for you!
Grace & Peace
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise
because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the sea.
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8, NIV)
You may not be under the stars in Africa right now. But may you be struck with the sense of awe and wonder when you think about this fact: The Creator of the Universe cares for you!
Grace & Peace
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Children of the Burning Hearts
They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened up the Scriptures to us?" (Luke 24:32)
"To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul's paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too-easily-satisfied religionist, but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart." (A.W. Tozer's The Pursuit of God)
Would you describe your relationship with God as one of "the burning heart"?
If not, what are you willing to do about it?
Are you willing to ask God and keep asking until He brings about such a condition in your life?
Grace & peace
"To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul's paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too-easily-satisfied religionist, but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart." (A.W. Tozer's The Pursuit of God)
Would you describe your relationship with God as one of "the burning heart"?
If not, what are you willing to do about it?
Are you willing to ask God and keep asking until He brings about such a condition in your life?
Grace & peace
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