For Sale Or Lease

I saw the sign again today, for sale or lease. I cannot count the number of times I have seen the same sign as we search for a new church location.  Leasing is temporary with modest upfront cost.  Buying a building requires financial stability with a sterling credit history.   Your signature on the contract indicates your commitment for the long-term.  The consequences of breaking a lease pale in comparison to walking away from a contract.   Leasers are expected to come and go. Owners are sold out. 

Daniel 3:16-18

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

The three Hebrew boys were dedicated to God.  They refused to worship King Nebuchadnezzar despite imminent death.  Their faith was rock solid.  They were invested in God until death.  Those that bowed to the king were willing to deny their Lord to escape the king’s wrath. Their faith was temporary.

We are like buildings.  Some of us are for lease, following God when it is convenient and or beneficial.  Others are for sale, dependable and faithful despite dire circumstances.  Sold out Christians are able to say as Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, “But if not”, I will still serve God.  When the world looks at your “building”, what will they see?  It depends on whether you are for sale or lease. The choice is yours.

Let it Rain

 

The drought is almost over in south Texas.  We have been inundated with rain to the point of flooding in some areas.  It has been over twenty years since we have seen this much rain.  Farmers have prayed, the Edwards Aquifer Authority prayed, greater San Antonio have all prayed for rain.  We needed rain.  After decades of sunbaked farmlands, brown lawns, water  restrictions and burn bans, we were desperate for rain.  Life is not the same when you are in a drought. Rain makes a difference.

2 Chronicles 6:26-27²⁶ 

When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, ²⁷ then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

 

Unconfessed sin is the leading cause of a drought filled life.  We can spend our lives in a parched, cracked, dry existence when we refuse to acknowledge our disobedience and outright rebellion against God.  We become like the walking dead, unproductive and useless.  Rain will not come until we pray to the Father, confess our sin and turn form our wicked ways, then God will hear from heaven, forgive our sin and teach us the right way.  Refreshing rain will pour down form heaven and bring healing. We can truly live again when the drought is no more. Let it Rain!!!

It's MINE

TODDLER’S CREED

If I want it, it’s mine.

If I give it to you and change my mind later, it’s mine.

If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine.

If it’s mine, it will never belong to anybody else, not matter what.

If we are building something together, all the pieces are mine.

If it looks just like mine, it is mine.

Maybe this is not the “Toddler’s Creed”.  This may be the creed for all humanity.  Our world revolves around us.  Everything that happens must benefit us.  If anything is said about us, it had better be good.  Whether we deserve it or not, the promotion must be ours, the best office should be ours and we should always be the first chosen.  I found this creed in a keep sake drawer filled with the boy’s art work and childhood memorabilia. It’s a creed that is better left in the past.  How do we let go of the “it’s mine” mentality?

Psalm 50:7-12

⁷ “Hear, O My people, and I will speak,
O Israel, and I will testify against you;
I am God, your God!
⁸ I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices
Or your burnt offerings,
Which are continually before Me.
⁹ I will not take a bull from your house,
Nor goats out of your folds.
¹⁰ For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
¹¹ I know all the birds of the mountains,
And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.

¹² “If I were hungry, I would not tell you;
For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.

The answer is simple. None of it is ours.  All things belong to God.  We are His stewards.  We own nothing. When we understand whose we are and who owns what, our grip loosens and giving becomes easier.  Then with empty hands we are able to praise and lift our hands to give God the glory because it does say in His word, that glory you speak about, “It’s Mine.”

 

Twitter

Why use Twitter?  Is it because we do not have much to say?  Or is it because the art of conversation is becoming extinct?  Do we do it just to be heard?  Tweets are cascading through the atmosphere by the millions to everyone at the same time.  Is anyone really listening?  Will anything change or happen as a result?  Is it worth the effort? Are Tweets beneficial?

Isaiah 38:14

¹⁴ “Like a swallow, like a crane, so I twitter;
I moan like a dove;
My eyes look wistfully to the heights;
O Lord, I am oppressed, be my security.

If you want results, send your Twitters to God.  In dire straits, with eyes looking toward heaven, express your cares to the Lord.  As a bird tweets and chirps, we moan and utter words in humble submission that only the Holy Spirit can translate.  The sounds of which ascend to our Creator as twitter supplications.  Our twitter is heard.  This kind of twitter produces a changed life. Sincere, heartfelt twitter can defeat our enemies.  With twitter, God does all the work without much effort on our part.  Be assured, twitter directed toward God is always beneficial.  So go ahead, Tweet on.

The Way To Go

 

 

Proverbs 22:6

⁶ Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

 

 

 

It's time for Jared to go.  He graduates this Sunday from Otterbein University in Columbus, Ohio. After eight ears of training in Musical Theater at Northeast School for the Arts and Otterbein, he is prepared for whatever God has for him.  The time has gone swiftly.  It has been a wild ride.  When you run with Jared you have to strap wheels onto your shoes.  From pregnancy on, I have been preparing for him to go. His training started at birth and over the years the word was embedded in his heart. I believe God's promise that what has been instilled in Jared will not be in vain.  Philippians 1:6 states being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  Whether Broadway, film or television, God will continue to use that medium to mold and make him into his servant for His own Glory. I'm not just excited that Jared is ready to go, I'm comforted in this, Jared knows "The Way."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sound of Running Water

 

 

Ezekiel 43:2

² And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory.

 

Revelation 1:15

¹⁵ His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;

 

Revelation 14:2

² And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps.

 

Is this like unto the voice of God?  In the midst of incredible, lush foliage towering hundreds of feet toward the heavens, the rush of falling water took center stage.  The sound, powerful and deafening commanded my attention.  The soil was rich, the plants were gargantuan and the brush so thick you would need a machete to break through.  None of it would be there were it not for the water.  The air was fresh, cool and clear because of the water.  Akaka Falls on the Big Island of Hawaii exists because of the water emanating from above.

Throughout the scriptures, God’s voice is described as the sound of many waters.  I thought of His voice as I stood there in the mist. All creation begins and ends with Him.  By His voice, the Earth and all there is came into existence.  He is the “Living Water” that sustains us.  If we drink from His well, can you imagine how much spiritual growth would flourish in our life? We would be "Just like a tree planted by the rivers of water bringing forth fruit in it season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper." Psalm 1:3.  Listen for the rushing waters and take a drink. You do not need to spend money traveling to Hawaii for this water.  It’s right where you are and this water is free.

 



Jars of Clay

Look closely.  Can you see the image?  Two figures created by the sculptor can be seen between the pottery. While the clay was wet, the sculptor meticulously formed three pots that when shown together outline the images of a small boy and girl.  Only a creative genius could imagine the finished project while molding the clay, forming curves and straight lines to compliment the other pot.  To create this masterpiece, the clay had to submit to the hand of the sculptor. The clay had to have been immersed in water. To be transformed, the clay must remain still.

 

Isaiah 64:8

⁸ But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

God is the sculptor, we are the clay.  To become His masterpiece, we must submit to His hand. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)  Are we willing to allow God to do what He chooses to do to make us like Him.  That includes the pain when He pushes us in another direction or stretches us to greater spiritual maturity. Will we allow Him to drench us with the Holy Spirit which  makes us malleable, much easier to work with?  Spirit filled pots are much more likely to stay still until God is finished.   Look closely.  By staying put, the Master has created a new you.

 

Discontinue Nursing

 



Nursing is not new. The medical community is just recommending what God has already set in place.  All the nutrients and calories needed for growth are in breast milk which is easily digested, contains antibodies to fight viruses and bacteria, decreases the infant’s risk of asthma and allergies and limits bouts of diarrhea.  If the mother and baby find nursing difficult, formula is designed to simulate breastmilk.  Babies can grow and thrive on formula.  As babies mature, their needs change.  Toddlers no longer need as much milk and certainly do not require night feedings.  Too much milk over an extended period of time can lead to untoward effects such as dental caries, iron deficiency anemia and chronic constipation. Failure to move from milk to meat can ruin a beautiful smile.  What’s worse, it makes it harder to chew and digest solid food.

Hebrews 5:12

¹² For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

How long will we continue as babes in Christ learning the same principles over and over.  Yes, we all have memorized Psalm 23, but what new scriptures have been put to memory?  What kind of time have we put in personal study and meditation?  Are there classes we have passed over, group studies we have ignored and is there a Bible concordance or study Bible in our home?  Are pages tattered and worn or fresh and crisp as the day you bought the book?  Okay, how about a Bible app for the tech savvy Christian?  Spiritual growth occurs when we transition from the milk of the word to the meat.  Some are still nursing what was learned as a child.  Some saints are fighting spiritual decay, anemic prayer lives and constipated ministries unable to move out because of a refusal to dine on meat.  In order to grow, we have to discontinue nursing.  Put down the breast or the bottle and grow.

Another Form of Child Abuse

 

Last weekend, I sat next to this young father at a family wedding.  It was relatively easy to pick out which toddlers belonged to him.  They sat quietly next to their grandmother.  They did not run back and forth between their parents and grandparents.  They were happy, disciplined children.  Dad did not need to use the short, well-worn belt but he would have if the circumstances warranted a course correction.

Los Angeles psychiatrist, Robin Berman, M. D. raises the premise in her book, Permission to Parent:  How to Raise Your Child with Love and Limits, “If children don’t hear “no” at home, imagine how it will feel when they hear it in the workplace.  Protective parenting has created children who feel entitled and who are psychologically fragile because they have too much power and lack resilience because they never experienced failure.”  She argues “giving in to children’s every demand creates an unrealistic world in which to mature, much less succeed.”  Lack of discipline can undermine a child’s ability to become all God created them to be.

 

Proverbs 13:24

²⁴ He who spares his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.

 

To withhold discipline is tantamount to child abuse.  A child’s life can be cut short because of foolishness not dealt with at an earlier age.  Failure to teach children to wait can lead to a young adult’s inability to defer gratification and do what they need to do now so that they can do what they want to do later and a result millennials are not launching out preferring to remain ensconced in the family nest.  An undisciplined child ultimately brings shame and dishonor to their family which in hindsight could have been prevented by a parent saying no and meaning it.  Dr. Berman states, “As a parent you have to be comfortable being uncomfortable if you’re parenting right.”  Dishing out discipline hurts you and your child.  But to not do it is to hate your child.  And frankly, that is another form of child abuse.

 

 

He will be back!

General Douglas MacArthur said “He would return.”  Arnold Schwarzaegger said,: “He will be back.” The first time the male stork bound for Africa left his companion he let her know he would be back.  She probably had little faith that he would keep his promise.  She, with broken wing could not make the trip.  She was perched on the little house top destined to remain in her current surroundings.  The man who lived there cared for and nurtured her while her companion was away.  What a sight when the following season the male stork returned from 8,000 miles away to care for her.  Again and again, he returned.  A female stork can remain committed and love deeply when she has a mate she can depend on and a shepherd who watches over her while her mate is away.

John 14:3

³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Our Lord is coming back.  He said He would.  The fact that He came the first time solidifies that promise.  He came for us with our broken wings, unable to fix ourselves relegated to living on sinful earth waiting for the day we fly away and will be at rest.  Our loyalty to God ought to be just as solid as the female stork.  Be sure you have a pastor/shepherd who provides sustenance to you while you patiently look for the One who is coming back.

 

The List

My son, Jared vehemently disagrees with my list of the top ten greatest basketball players of all time.  Several players on his list do not make my list, but we do agree on who is number one.  It goes without saying; Michael is at the top of both lists.  Because of his love for the game, he trained incessantly; he took competition to a whole new level and was completely sold out to the game.  No one can argue to the contrary.  MJ makes the list.

Job 1:6-8

⁶ Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan^[a] also came among them. ⁷ And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?”

So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

⁸ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”

 

If that heavenly discussion commenced this very moment, would you make the list?  Can God declare, “Have you considered my servant, ___________?”  If not, why not?  Making the list begins with loving God with all your heart. One who loves God lives a life of moral integrity, fears God and is obedient to His word.  Do that and there will be no argument.  You too can make the list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time

At Legend Center-Sonterra, residents walk slower, bend more, sit most of the time then lie down as their weakened bodies give way to rest.  There is no fanfare.  Just like the release of air from a punctured tire is barely perceptible; life has a slow and steady leak.  We leave with a sigh.  There can still be a spark, a slight smile, or   ray of light that says; my life mattered.  I did what I could, while I could.  I found evidence of that at my Mom’s home today.  I removed box upon box of get well, sympathy and thinking of you cards.  There were small trinkets she stored away in case someone needed encouragement.  I found years of deaconess and mission booklets and workshop folders she used to guide young women in the work of ministry.  When she could be the hands and feet of Christ, she served with all her heart.

 

 Psalm 90:9-12

⁹ For all our days have passed away in Your wrath;
We finish our years like a sigh.
¹⁰ The days of our lives are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;
For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
¹¹ Who knows the power of Your anger?
For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.
¹² So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Original sin has caused our days to be numbered.  The brevity of life should move us to fear God which is the beginning of wisdom.  We honor Him when we do the things that please Him.  While we can walk upright without a walker or wheelchair, be a doer and not a hearer only.  Allow Him to use you to serve others, to witness, to teach and to be a light in a dark and sinful world.  Each of us has a set amount of time here on Earth.  Use each day wisely. You cannot turn back the clock.

 

 

Silence

 

Four hundred years of silence occurred between the Old and New Testament.  God did not say a word.  Silence does not mean God is not at work, that He is not listening or that He does not care.  In His wisdom, He chooses not to speak.  Therein lies a lesson for us all.  Sometimes we need to remain silent. I have nothing more to say than that. Meditate on the following scriptures this week, in silence. Listen to God speak.

Job 13:5

⁵ Oh, that you would be silent,
And it would be your wisdom!

Proverbs 10:19

¹⁹ In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.

Proverbs 11:12

¹² He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor,
But a man of understanding holds his peace.

Proverbs 17:28

²⁸ Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;
When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glasses, lost!

I could not find my glasses last Sunday morning.  I looked everywhere which is hard to do with blurred vision.  My routine activities were disrupted.  It took twice as long to do anything.   I stopped by Wal-Mart on the way to church to buy a pair of cheap reading glasses. Choosing between a 2.0 or 2.5 proved difficult.  All the numbers looked like 2.3.  Making a decision becomes perilous when you cannot see.

2 Samuel 22:31

³¹ “As for God, his way is perfect:
    The Lord’s word is flawless;
    he shields all who take refuge in Him.

 

Critical, life-changing decisions demand clear vision.  The perfect, inerrant word of God allows us to see the right path.  When we meditate and study the word, God’s direction becomes more evident.  Misplaced Bibles collecting dust in many a Christian home have resulted in preventable self-inflicted wounds.  Unless we read the word and hide it in our hearts we will be prone to choose the wrong path.  Our decisions making skills become flawed.  We cannot see because we have not read.  We don’t need a new pair of glasses.  What we need is a renewed dependence on the word of God.  When you look at the world using a Biblical world view, life becomes clearer. Find your Bible, read it and you will have found your glasses.  I found mine!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love is a Verb

Would you like some coffee?  Would you like some Earls Cheetos from Minnesota? Would you like some soda, some ice?  Seriously, this is what I heard in the background while charting on a newborn at Northeast Baptist Hospital this morning.  One nurse, Bridget offered a litany of refreshments to her compatriot, Joy. I was blown away by Bridget’s unwavering attempt to find some way she could be of service to Joy.  But then, this is the same nurse that had my charts pulled sitting on the counter, a stethoscope and ophthalmoscope in place for my use and gave me a bag of Earl’s Cheetos for good measure.  This Valentine Weekend, God had just given me an image of love in action.  Love is a verb.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

To suffer is a verb.  To not envy, to not parade self, to not behave rudely and to rejoice in truth are verbs.  To bear, believe, hope and endure are all verbs.  Love is the state of looking out for the interest of others despite the cost to oneself.  Everyone may not receive a Valentine this Saturday but we can all be a Valentine, dispensing love to someone in need.  Look for an opportunity to love others who may have been forgotten, left out or untouched.  Follow the lead of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  He did not wait for a Valentine Card to show His love.  Yes, hanging on a cross is a verb too.

 

 

 

You don't have to be Frozen to be a Queen

“Frozen” has mesmerized many a young lady this past year.  Blue taffeta gowns with silver inlay are ubiquitous.  Little girls want to be queen and some big girls do too.  In the small village of Arendelle, Elsa the queen reigns.

Breaking News:  You don’t have to be frozen to reign in this world.

Romans 5:17

¹⁷ For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

Because of the sin of one man, Adam, we all face death.  Through the death of one man, Jesus Christ we have an invitation to reign right now.  Those who trust in Jesus Christ as their redeemer have been given abundant grace and have been judged righteous.  When you comprehend the abounding grace imputed to you and understand that your unworthy soul has been pronounced righteous, you begin to look, act and sound like the queen you are.  There is no room in this village to live a squeamish, frightened, lack luster, frozen existence.  Thaw out! Queens reign!

 

 

Cuts Hurt

No one likes to be cut.  Sharp lacerations hurt.  Bleeding is profuse.  Pressure has to be pplied.  The wound must be irrigated with normal saline then closed with sutures or staples.  The solution used to clean and heal stings.  Even the anesthesia hurts.  The entire process is uncomfortable but needed if your want to be made whole again.

Hebrews 4:12-13

¹² For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ¹³ And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Is pain the reason we ignore Bible Study, scripture memorization and meditation on His Word?  Is it that we do not want to get cut?  Not only is the Word sharp, it knows where to cut.  It inflicts damage going in and coming out.  The Word will strike in the heart, sometimes in the head, and on other occasions the hands and feet are torn asunder.  An entire congregation may hear the Word and the sanctuary have wounded saints with all manner of injuries.  God discerns the thoughts, intentions and our motivation.  Nothing is hidden from His sight.  Better to be under the sword now then stand before God to give an account never having been cut.  Fear not the sword, but the One who wields the sword cutting away blessings and crowns.  Allow the Word to carve and create in you the servant God has called you to be.  And yes, it will hurt.  It’s supposed to.

 

 

When is it cheating?

I’ve been obsessed with the New England Patriots’ “Deflate-gate” uproar, listening to both sides of the issue.  Some football aficionados are unconcerned and consider the entire episode as Patriot haters making a mountain out of a mole hill.  Their contention is that every quarterback has a preference and has been lubricating, inflating or deflating the football for years despite league regulations.  This is no big deal.  The other side believes the Patriot coach, quarterback and or the entire team should be suspended leaving the Super Bowl in limbo.  The investigation is ongoing but it is highly suspicious when only one team’s footballs are deflated on the same field under the same conditions.  If true, the rule was broken.  That’s called cheating.

James 2:10-11

¹⁰ For whoever keeps the whole ^[a]law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. ¹¹ For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the ^blaw.

Let’s not get sanctimonious.  We have all cheated. We have all broken the law.  Whether you ran the stop sign or have committed armed robbery, you are still a lawbreaker.  A gossip is on par with an adulterer.  We like to knit pick the failure of others not acknowledging the failure in our own lives. 

The law was given so that we might know sin.  No one could keep the entire law because if you cheated in one area, you broke the entire law.  Thank God for grace.  Jesus Christ did for us what we could not do for ourselves.  He came to offer cheaters a way to the Father.  Admit you are a cheater (Tom Brady), ask for forgiveness (Coach Belichick) and believe Jesus Christ died for your cheating.  In all seriousness, there is no such thing as insignificant cheating.  When the line is crossed, the rule or law is broken, it’s called cheating.  Cheating in football can cost a chance to appear in the Super Bowl, cheating in life can cost eternal paradise in the presence of God.