"A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul." Acts 16:14
It is not important where we are from or what we do for a living. It is important that we worship our God. We must always worship Him in spirit and in truth for He desires such. It is our faith that separates us from those that do not believe. There is a difference between being a child of God and those who are not.
In our worship, we must be attentive to that which God has to say to us. He has many ways of communicating with us. We must attend to His word, be it preached, taught or read. We must also pursue active prayer lives, for truly the Spirit conveys His will to us. He will send the spirit of discernment by which we can learn to hear God above the noise of life's many distractions.
When we accomplish these things we will find that our hearts will be opened. And what is it to have our hearts opened but to have our minds opened? The scripture does not refer to that which pumps blood to the body, but to our intellect, our understanding and our emotion. Once we have an understanding of who God is, limited though it may be, and what His purpose is for our lives, we will have no choice but to respond.
Beloved, we were made through love, of love, by Love. By the grace of Almighty God, through His son and our Savior, we respond to Love.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Count Your Blessings-12/29/2011
"Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. " Matt 6:31-33
Anyone who even casually examines his or her life must acknowledge that they are blessed. Our Father is so benevolent, so kind, so long suffering, so gracious and so merciful, how could any deny it? How could anyone miss it?
In reality, we miss it all the time. We miss it because of God's over abundance, Eph 3:20-21. This gives us the very interesting trait of focusing on the things that are wrong, challenging, inconvenient, painful or wanting in our lives. It is as if we expect to lead lives where every whim is satisfied, and every desire is delivered. That is just not reality for anyone. The more we get the more we want and are thus never satisfied.
What is in fact reality is that all of us could lead lives that are far worse, regardless of our current circumstance. Fortunately we serve a God who not only knows our needs, but supplies them (and ever so many of our wants). Whom do you know that is without food, drink, clothing and shelter, even if it is supplied by others?
If we would take the time to count our blessings, we would see how vastly they outweigh the things we think are wanting. We serve a glorious Creator. How could we do anything less than seek His righteousness and His kingdom?
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Anyone who even casually examines his or her life must acknowledge that they are blessed. Our Father is so benevolent, so kind, so long suffering, so gracious and so merciful, how could any deny it? How could anyone miss it?
In reality, we miss it all the time. We miss it because of God's over abundance, Eph 3:20-21. This gives us the very interesting trait of focusing on the things that are wrong, challenging, inconvenient, painful or wanting in our lives. It is as if we expect to lead lives where every whim is satisfied, and every desire is delivered. That is just not reality for anyone. The more we get the more we want and are thus never satisfied.
What is in fact reality is that all of us could lead lives that are far worse, regardless of our current circumstance. Fortunately we serve a God who not only knows our needs, but supplies them (and ever so many of our wants). Whom do you know that is without food, drink, clothing and shelter, even if it is supplied by others?
If we would take the time to count our blessings, we would see how vastly they outweigh the things we think are wanting. We serve a glorious Creator. How could we do anything less than seek His righteousness and His kingdom?
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
The Value of "Church"-12/28/2011 (rp)
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." Isa 2:3
It has been said that church (organized corporate worship) is fading into irrelevance. Today there are so many distractions that take away from our coming together. People are choosing social media to connect. Many stay at home and watch televangelists, citing no need to go to a house of worship. Then there are those that consider the Christian lifestyle and the belief in Jesus Christ as too restrictive and tend toward a more open "spirituality." Finally, there are those who do not believe at all. These are the folks you see playing golf, going to the gym, tailgating at professional sporting events, etc., on your way to worship.
Somewhere along the way we have forgotten (or turned our backs on) the importance of worship. There was a time when this was the center of our lives. Our social, spiritual and even physical needs were met via the gathering of ourselves together. The church was with whom we communed while communing with God.
Beloved, there is no substitute for our corporate worship: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near." Heb 10:23-25. Let us always endeavor to meet together and learn of our God and then share what we have learned with all whom we meet.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
It has been said that church (organized corporate worship) is fading into irrelevance. Today there are so many distractions that take away from our coming together. People are choosing social media to connect. Many stay at home and watch televangelists, citing no need to go to a house of worship. Then there are those that consider the Christian lifestyle and the belief in Jesus Christ as too restrictive and tend toward a more open "spirituality." Finally, there are those who do not believe at all. These are the folks you see playing golf, going to the gym, tailgating at professional sporting events, etc., on your way to worship.
Somewhere along the way we have forgotten (or turned our backs on) the importance of worship. There was a time when this was the center of our lives. Our social, spiritual and even physical needs were met via the gathering of ourselves together. The church was with whom we communed while communing with God.
Beloved, there is no substitute for our corporate worship: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near." Heb 10:23-25. Let us always endeavor to meet together and learn of our God and then share what we have learned with all whom we meet.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
About Worrying-12/27/2011
"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matt 6:34
There was a woman once whose son came home with the type of news no proud parent wants to hear. He had received a one day suspension from school for horseplay. It seems that he caused a young lady to fall and hit her head. Unfortunately this required stitches.
As you can imagine, the mother went into full frantic mode. "Is the girl alright?" "Is my son in trouble?" "Will the parents sue?" "Will my son be brought up on charges?" Things were made worse by the fact that there was an attempt to phone the mother of the young lady, but the call was neither answered or returned.
To be sure, it is good and right to be concerned about the welfare of another, particularly in an at fault situation. Concern, however, is the immediate neighbor of worry. Worry, in this context, is composed of anxiety. Anxiety my beloved, is like foam; it is derived from something real and tangible but is both useless, temporary and full of air. You see, unlike fear, which can prepare the mind and body for fight or flight, worry simply weighs one down with no benefit. It consumes energy and interrupts the thought process. It derails logic and threatens faith. It accomplishes absolutely nothing. No amount of worrying influences any outcome.
As it turned out, the mother of the young lady eventually called. She said that she was over being upset. She also said she did some checking to see what kind of young man the woman's son is and found the reports to be good. As a result, she felt sure that it was an accident and that everything was OK.
Just like that, the woman's worry, like foam, evaporated, having served no purpose and accomplishing no good. It had only caused discomfort and exasperation...and then was gone. Jesus asks, "And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life's span? "If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?" Luke 12:25-26. Perhaps a better use of our time in situations like these is prayer.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
There was a woman once whose son came home with the type of news no proud parent wants to hear. He had received a one day suspension from school for horseplay. It seems that he caused a young lady to fall and hit her head. Unfortunately this required stitches.
As you can imagine, the mother went into full frantic mode. "Is the girl alright?" "Is my son in trouble?" "Will the parents sue?" "Will my son be brought up on charges?" Things were made worse by the fact that there was an attempt to phone the mother of the young lady, but the call was neither answered or returned.
To be sure, it is good and right to be concerned about the welfare of another, particularly in an at fault situation. Concern, however, is the immediate neighbor of worry. Worry, in this context, is composed of anxiety. Anxiety my beloved, is like foam; it is derived from something real and tangible but is both useless, temporary and full of air. You see, unlike fear, which can prepare the mind and body for fight or flight, worry simply weighs one down with no benefit. It consumes energy and interrupts the thought process. It derails logic and threatens faith. It accomplishes absolutely nothing. No amount of worrying influences any outcome.
As it turned out, the mother of the young lady eventually called. She said that she was over being upset. She also said she did some checking to see what kind of young man the woman's son is and found the reports to be good. As a result, she felt sure that it was an accident and that everything was OK.
Just like that, the woman's worry, like foam, evaporated, having served no purpose and accomplishing no good. It had only caused discomfort and exasperation...and then was gone. Jesus asks, "And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life's span? "If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?" Luke 12:25-26. Perhaps a better use of our time in situations like these is prayer.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Friday, December 23, 2011
Giving vs. Receiving-12/23/2011
"It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35
To many, Christmas is all about gifts. Yes it is a time when families come together. There are celebrations of love, togetherness...and food. But the focal point is the gifts. It exceeds the scope of this writing to go into detail about the pagan origin of gift giving (or for a December 25th Christmas for that matter). Suffice it to say that some trace gifts to the benevolence of Nicholas, who would become the Santa Claus legend or the gift giving of the wise men.
We look forward with great anticipation to the things that we will receive. We are taught from an early age to make lists. When we were kids, we sat on Santa's lap and told him everything we wanted. Even now, we enter the season with many things that we desire in mind and sometimes on our lips. And on Christmas morning, we regale callers and well wishers with the great things we have received and likewise, ask the same of them. We even go so far as to mark the particular Christmas by what was received that year.
Beloved, why are we so focused on what we get? The question we as Christians should be asking is, "What did you give?" Surely, the giving is the superior part. In a day and age that most of have more than we need and have so many of our wants, why not concentrate on helping to provide for the needs of those who are challenged to obtain the very basics of life? Perhaps the best gift we can give is one that we ourselves have received. Let us give the gift of the love of God's only begotten, Jesus the Christ.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
To many, Christmas is all about gifts. Yes it is a time when families come together. There are celebrations of love, togetherness...and food. But the focal point is the gifts. It exceeds the scope of this writing to go into detail about the pagan origin of gift giving (or for a December 25th Christmas for that matter). Suffice it to say that some trace gifts to the benevolence of Nicholas, who would become the Santa Claus legend or the gift giving of the wise men.
We look forward with great anticipation to the things that we will receive. We are taught from an early age to make lists. When we were kids, we sat on Santa's lap and told him everything we wanted. Even now, we enter the season with many things that we desire in mind and sometimes on our lips. And on Christmas morning, we regale callers and well wishers with the great things we have received and likewise, ask the same of them. We even go so far as to mark the particular Christmas by what was received that year.
Beloved, why are we so focused on what we get? The question we as Christians should be asking is, "What did you give?" Surely, the giving is the superior part. In a day and age that most of have more than we need and have so many of our wants, why not concentrate on helping to provide for the needs of those who are challenged to obtain the very basics of life? Perhaps the best gift we can give is one that we ourselves have received. Let us give the gift of the love of God's only begotten, Jesus the Christ.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Advent Myths-12/22/2011
"For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge." Rom 10:2
The season the world celebrates the birth of Christ is to many the most beloved and happiest of all times. People seem to be a bit nicer. The spirit of giving is awakened and so many feel an inner warmth and peace emanating from inside. We truly experience good will toward mankind.
Despite this season based on the bible, there are a healthy number of misconceptions and outright fabrications about what is written there concerning the advent of our Savior:
The season the world celebrates the birth of Christ is to many the most beloved and happiest of all times. People seem to be a bit nicer. The spirit of giving is awakened and so many feel an inner warmth and peace emanating from inside. We truly experience good will toward mankind.
Despite this season based on the bible, there are a healthy number of misconceptions and outright fabrications about what is written there concerning the advent of our Savior:
- Jesus was born on December 25th. In actuality, the bible does not mention the actual date of his birth. Many scholars feel that he was born in the September to October time frame but no one is sure. The bible, however, does mention in Luke 2:8 that there were shepherds in the field at night tending their flocks. During December, the temperature there is freezing with occasional snow. This is not typical pasture weather.
- Jesus was found in a barn full of animals. This is another guess based most likely on the manger, a feeding trough. Nowhere in scripture is a barn mentioned despite one being featured in most nativity scenes. Most animals were kept in caves or open pens. Luke 2:7 simply says that he was in a manger and wrapped in cloths.
- Three Kings were present at Jesus birth. Matt 2:1 mentions that magi came from the east. Magi is the word from which we derive magician. They are also known as wise men. The understanding at the time, was that they were men of astrology and science. They are never referred to as kings in the bible. Further, they are never numbered. Though they brought three gifts, it may have been 2 or 52 magi. Finally, Matt 2:10 says that they were led by a star to the house where the baby was. In fact, it is likely that this occurred as much as two years after the birth. Matt 2:16 says that threatened King Herod began killing boys two years and younger based on the time the magi had told him.
Beloved these are just a few examples of biblical misconceptions. The better we know the word, the more readily we will be able discern truth and recognize error. Only when we have a good understanding of the scriptures can we live lives aligned with them and in turn, correctly share it with others. Nothing less than our very spiritual lives depend on this. Let us not be guilty of having zeal without knowledge.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Give the Greatest Gift-12/21/11
"The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them." Luke 2:20
There are some 300 prophecies concerning Christ. As hope filled as each of them was, nothing matched the actual announcement of his birth: "But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. " This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, " Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." Luke 2:10-14.
The prophecies had been fulfilled. The Messiah had arrived. Reconciliation with God was now possible. The gift of salvation was now available. Our great benefit found its genesis at this moment. The question, then, must be, "what now?"
Beloved, I suggest that we now do what those who first heard the best of all news did. They glorified God, praised Him, and according to verses 17 and 18, they shared the good news with others. You see, it is not important when Christ was born but that he was born. God is surely to be praised for the amazing gift of his only begotten son. For our benefit as well as that of all mankind, it is a gift that can be shared with any and everyone to the glory of God.
As you consider what you will give, consider giving the greatest gift of all: the good news of the Savior.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
There are some 300 prophecies concerning Christ. As hope filled as each of them was, nothing matched the actual announcement of his birth: "But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. " This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, " Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." Luke 2:10-14.
The prophecies had been fulfilled. The Messiah had arrived. Reconciliation with God was now possible. The gift of salvation was now available. Our great benefit found its genesis at this moment. The question, then, must be, "what now?"
Beloved, I suggest that we now do what those who first heard the best of all news did. They glorified God, praised Him, and according to verses 17 and 18, they shared the good news with others. You see, it is not important when Christ was born but that he was born. God is surely to be praised for the amazing gift of his only begotten son. For our benefit as well as that of all mankind, it is a gift that can be shared with any and everyone to the glory of God.
As you consider what you will give, consider giving the greatest gift of all: the good news of the Savior.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
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