As those of you who read this site with any regularity know, I am constantly impressed with the daily e-mailed inspirations sent out by Pastor Glen VanderKloot of Faith Lutheran Church, Springfield, Illinois. Here is today's installment of OnLine with Faith:
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A Thought for the Day
When there is nothing left but God,
That is when you find out God is all you need.
Unknown
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Bible Verse
Psalm 46:1-2
God is our mighty fortress,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
And so, we won't be afraid!
Contemporary English Version
Prayer
Lord, help me to remember that no matter what you are with me
and you will give me all that I need. Amen
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Wednesday, July 30, 2003
FIRST THOUGHTS ON 'BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: AN AMERICAN LIFE':
Among the books I've read this summer is Walter Isaacson's Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. Isaacson, one-time editor at both Time magazine and CNN, has written an easily-read, yet scholarly account of Franklin's life.
Franklin, like so many prominent people from the past--and this seems especially true of our country's Founders--has become a cartoon caricature. Franklin is often portrayed as a breezy cad who dabbled in science and threw off one-liners.
But, as Isaacson's excellent book shows, Franklin was a complex man of considerable achievement in a variety of fields. I came away from Isaacson's book finding him, other than Thomas Jefferson, to be the least likable of the American founders. Yet, he was a remarkable person, a full-blown Enlightenment man who, having decided at age 42 that he had enough money, retired from his printing business and lived on modest means as a public servant--one who often gave away his public salary--for the next forty years.
In the coming days, I intend to write some thoughts that have crossed my mind as I've read Isaacson's wonderful book.
Franklin was by far the oldest delegate to the Constitutional Convention and a revered figure. If Franklin, from his lofty eminence, had one great contribution he made to the US Constitution, an incredible document, it was his constant call to his fellow delegates to compromise, to bend a little, to yield.
As Isaacson points out, democracy can sometimes appear less-than-heroic. Over the long haul, democracy neither respects or rewards the flame-throwing ideologue; democracy is nurtured by those of strong opinions being willing to meet the opposition halfway. Democracy doesn't require people of squishy principles, but it does require ones who are able to say, "I could be wrong and you could be right."
The US Constitution came about because able--and often principled--people compromised. Without that compromise, the United States of America, under the ineffectual Articles of Confederation, would have ceased to exist, each state becoming the likely target of conquest by European powers.
One-time presidential candidate Jack Kemp was fond of saying that the Constitution is a divinely-inspired document, on a par with the Bible. Such talk is a little silly, I think. As a Christian, I believe that the Bible is the unique and authoritative source and norm for life, faith, and practice and that God inspired every word. The Bible, unlike the Constitution, is not amendable. But I do think that God answered a lot of prayers when the delegates to the convention which produced it wrote our Constitution. If that's so, then God seems to have endorsed the notion that human beings should learn to compromise.
Near the end of Isaacson's account of Franklin's role in the writing of the Constitution, he writes:
"With the wisdom of a patient chess player and the practicality of a scientist, Franklin realized that they [the delegates to the convention] had succeeded not because they were self-assured, but because they were willing to concede that they might be fallible." (p.457)
How refreshing it would be if we could all concede that today!
I'm told that several years ago, historian Daniel Boorstin was asked what the biggest problem confronting America was. It was, he said, the "hyphenation" of America: the penchant for seeing ourselves as Something-Americans: Caucasian-Americans, African-Americans, and so on.
In a world that is getting smaller all the time, we need to lose the hyphens. Failing to remember the lessons of history, people hyphenate themselves and declare their superiority or implacable commitment to principles, tribes, races, nations, or isms. Partisan hyphenation often prevents governments from actually dealing with issues and problems. Racial and religious hyphenation cause people to kill each other.
We need to learn that it's possible to adhere to our beliefs and still acknowledge that we are capable of being wrong. No group is always right. No person is always right. Two foundational principles for me are these: God is perfect and I'm not God. (A corollary of that is: Thank God I'm not God!)
Isaacson points out that of the list of virtues the young Benjamin Franklin famously set out to pursue, he failed most spectacularly at mastering humility. Of course, none of us masters any virtue. According to the Bible, the most any of us can hope to become are recovering sinners; saints are nothing other than sinners who have been forgiven by a gracious God. When I was a boy, my grandmother saw my galloping ego and couldn't resist buying a sweatshirt that showed a little cartoon megalomaniac declaring, "I'm so nearly perfect, I can hardly stand it." Humility doesn't come to us naturally.
If though, we could ask God to help us act humble even when we don't feel humble, we might find ourselves saying--and really meaning--words that lubricate the machinery of friendships, marriages, governments, and nations. Words like...
"I might be wrong."
"Let's try it your way."
"Explain that to me again."
"I'm sorry."
Proverbs 13:10, in the Old Testament, says, "By insolence the heedless make strife, but wisdom is with those who take advice."
Humility is the engine by which relationships--between people, within societies, among nations--progress. I know of only one sure source for humility: the Savior Who humbly laid aside the advantages of Deity in order to become one of us, to die for us, and to rise to give all with faith in Him new life, Jesus the Christ (Philippians 2:5-11; John 3:16).
John Adams, who Franklin disdained and who, unlike Franklin, was a committed follower of Christ, said that the American experiment with constitutional government could only work if the nation were composed largely of people made virtuous by humbly following God. I believe that's still true. Democracies can only survive among people of goodwill, people who have flushed the hyphens, and who have come to depend on God, not themselves.
That doesn't mean the imposition of some Christian political program on unbelieving neighbors! Christian belief cannot be imposed and the imposition of Christian faith on others is antithetical to the teachings of the Bible. Besides, no political program could ever claim to be perfectly Christian: God is neither liberal or conservative, monarchist or democrat.
But it does mean that both the mission of those who follow Christ and the positive role we can play in our country are clear. We are called, in the words of my friend Steve Sjogren, to "love the world into relationship with Jesus Christ."
When people have a direct, intimate, personal relationship with the Savior of the world, they'll still make mistakes and hurt themselves and others, but they'll know where to go to make things right. When you follow the God Who loves you always, overlooks your flaws, forgives your sin, and commits Himself to be with you forever (Matthew 28:20), you have the ability to do what your pride or inferiority feelings might otherwise prevent you from doing: to compromise, to give in, to yield, to admit that you might be wrong.
Mr. Franklin, I think, was right up to a point. Humility and its concomitant, compromise, are essential ingredients for making our relationships work. But just as Franklin failed in conquering any of the virtues on his own, we will fail if we strive to live humbly based only on our resolves to be humble. We need God's help. Through Jesus Christ, that help is always available!
Among the books I've read this summer is Walter Isaacson's Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. Isaacson, one-time editor at both Time magazine and CNN, has written an easily-read, yet scholarly account of Franklin's life.
Franklin, like so many prominent people from the past--and this seems especially true of our country's Founders--has become a cartoon caricature. Franklin is often portrayed as a breezy cad who dabbled in science and threw off one-liners.
But, as Isaacson's excellent book shows, Franklin was a complex man of considerable achievement in a variety of fields. I came away from Isaacson's book finding him, other than Thomas Jefferson, to be the least likable of the American founders. Yet, he was a remarkable person, a full-blown Enlightenment man who, having decided at age 42 that he had enough money, retired from his printing business and lived on modest means as a public servant--one who often gave away his public salary--for the next forty years.
In the coming days, I intend to write some thoughts that have crossed my mind as I've read Isaacson's wonderful book.
Franklin was by far the oldest delegate to the Constitutional Convention and a revered figure. If Franklin, from his lofty eminence, had one great contribution he made to the US Constitution, an incredible document, it was his constant call to his fellow delegates to compromise, to bend a little, to yield.
As Isaacson points out, democracy can sometimes appear less-than-heroic. Over the long haul, democracy neither respects or rewards the flame-throwing ideologue; democracy is nurtured by those of strong opinions being willing to meet the opposition halfway. Democracy doesn't require people of squishy principles, but it does require ones who are able to say, "I could be wrong and you could be right."
The US Constitution came about because able--and often principled--people compromised. Without that compromise, the United States of America, under the ineffectual Articles of Confederation, would have ceased to exist, each state becoming the likely target of conquest by European powers.
One-time presidential candidate Jack Kemp was fond of saying that the Constitution is a divinely-inspired document, on a par with the Bible. Such talk is a little silly, I think. As a Christian, I believe that the Bible is the unique and authoritative source and norm for life, faith, and practice and that God inspired every word. The Bible, unlike the Constitution, is not amendable. But I do think that God answered a lot of prayers when the delegates to the convention which produced it wrote our Constitution. If that's so, then God seems to have endorsed the notion that human beings should learn to compromise.
Near the end of Isaacson's account of Franklin's role in the writing of the Constitution, he writes:
"With the wisdom of a patient chess player and the practicality of a scientist, Franklin realized that they [the delegates to the convention] had succeeded not because they were self-assured, but because they were willing to concede that they might be fallible." (p.457)
How refreshing it would be if we could all concede that today!
I'm told that several years ago, historian Daniel Boorstin was asked what the biggest problem confronting America was. It was, he said, the "hyphenation" of America: the penchant for seeing ourselves as Something-Americans: Caucasian-Americans, African-Americans, and so on.
In a world that is getting smaller all the time, we need to lose the hyphens. Failing to remember the lessons of history, people hyphenate themselves and declare their superiority or implacable commitment to principles, tribes, races, nations, or isms. Partisan hyphenation often prevents governments from actually dealing with issues and problems. Racial and religious hyphenation cause people to kill each other.
We need to learn that it's possible to adhere to our beliefs and still acknowledge that we are capable of being wrong. No group is always right. No person is always right. Two foundational principles for me are these: God is perfect and I'm not God. (A corollary of that is: Thank God I'm not God!)
Isaacson points out that of the list of virtues the young Benjamin Franklin famously set out to pursue, he failed most spectacularly at mastering humility. Of course, none of us masters any virtue. According to the Bible, the most any of us can hope to become are recovering sinners; saints are nothing other than sinners who have been forgiven by a gracious God. When I was a boy, my grandmother saw my galloping ego and couldn't resist buying a sweatshirt that showed a little cartoon megalomaniac declaring, "I'm so nearly perfect, I can hardly stand it." Humility doesn't come to us naturally.
If though, we could ask God to help us act humble even when we don't feel humble, we might find ourselves saying--and really meaning--words that lubricate the machinery of friendships, marriages, governments, and nations. Words like...
"I might be wrong."
"Let's try it your way."
"Explain that to me again."
"I'm sorry."
Proverbs 13:10, in the Old Testament, says, "By insolence the heedless make strife, but wisdom is with those who take advice."
Humility is the engine by which relationships--between people, within societies, among nations--progress. I know of only one sure source for humility: the Savior Who humbly laid aside the advantages of Deity in order to become one of us, to die for us, and to rise to give all with faith in Him new life, Jesus the Christ (Philippians 2:5-11; John 3:16).
John Adams, who Franklin disdained and who, unlike Franklin, was a committed follower of Christ, said that the American experiment with constitutional government could only work if the nation were composed largely of people made virtuous by humbly following God. I believe that's still true. Democracies can only survive among people of goodwill, people who have flushed the hyphens, and who have come to depend on God, not themselves.
That doesn't mean the imposition of some Christian political program on unbelieving neighbors! Christian belief cannot be imposed and the imposition of Christian faith on others is antithetical to the teachings of the Bible. Besides, no political program could ever claim to be perfectly Christian: God is neither liberal or conservative, monarchist or democrat.
But it does mean that both the mission of those who follow Christ and the positive role we can play in our country are clear. We are called, in the words of my friend Steve Sjogren, to "love the world into relationship with Jesus Christ."
When people have a direct, intimate, personal relationship with the Savior of the world, they'll still make mistakes and hurt themselves and others, but they'll know where to go to make things right. When you follow the God Who loves you always, overlooks your flaws, forgives your sin, and commits Himself to be with you forever (Matthew 28:20), you have the ability to do what your pride or inferiority feelings might otherwise prevent you from doing: to compromise, to give in, to yield, to admit that you might be wrong.
Mr. Franklin, I think, was right up to a point. Humility and its concomitant, compromise, are essential ingredients for making our relationships work. But just as Franklin failed in conquering any of the virtues on his own, we will fail if we strive to live humbly based only on our resolves to be humble. We need God's help. Through Jesus Christ, that help is always available!
Tuesday, July 29, 2003
Monday, July 28, 2003
CORRECTION: In one of my recent 'Reflections on Proverbs,' I talked about actress-model Rene Russo's search for God. I inaccurately cited the March, 2003 issue of Reader's Digest as the source of her story. Actually, it appears in The Power Behind Positive Thinking: Unlocking Your Spiritual Potential by Eric Fellman, which I had been reviewing in anticipation of my message for Sunday, July 27.
Here's another great inspirational thought from my colleague, Pastor Glen VanderKloot from Faith Lutheran Church of Springfield, Illinois. If you'd like to receive his excellent daily e-mailed inspirations, OnLine with Faith, contact Glen at pastor@faithlutheran.com...
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A Thought for the Day
All earthly cities are vulnerable.
Men build them and men destroy them.
At the same time there is the City of God
which men did not build and cannot destroy
and is everlasting.
Augustine, 410 AD
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Bible Verse
Matthew 10:28
Don't be afraid of people. They can kill you,
but they cannot harm your soul. Instead,
you should fear God who can destroy both
your body and your soul in hell.
Contemporary English Version
Prayer
Lord, help me to value the City of God over
temporary cities of our world. Amen
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Here's another great inspirational thought from my colleague, Pastor Glen VanderKloot from Faith Lutheran Church of Springfield, Illinois. If you'd like to receive his excellent daily e-mailed inspirations, OnLine with Faith, contact Glen at pastor@faithlutheran.com...
*****************************************************
A Thought for the Day
All earthly cities are vulnerable.
Men build them and men destroy them.
At the same time there is the City of God
which men did not build and cannot destroy
and is everlasting.
Augustine, 410 AD
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Bible Verse
Matthew 10:28
Don't be afraid of people. They can kill you,
but they cannot harm your soul. Instead,
you should fear God who can destroy both
your body and your soul in hell.
Contemporary English Version
Prayer
Lord, help me to value the City of God over
temporary cities of our world. Amen
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Sunday, July 27, 2003
REFLECTIONS ON PROVERBS
[Wisdom picked up from the Old Testament book of wisdom, Proverbs]
Proverbs 9:8:
"A scoffer who is rebuked will only hate you; the wise, when rebuked, will love you."
This raises the question of whether one should ever bother rebuking a scoffer, a person who belittles the idea of faith in God. Generally, I don't think that people of faith should rebuke the skeptical. The perfect model of this behavior is Jesus, the One Christians believe was God-Come-to-Earth. Jesus never grew angry, never rebuked, unbelieving people. He was always very patient with them. He embodied the truth that the New Testament preacher Paul points to when he says that the kindness of God leads people to repentance, to turning to God.
The only people Jesus ever upbraided were "good churchgoing people" who claimed to follow God but were full of hatred or indifference to God and people.
If we sense that God is "getting on our cases" sometimes, disutrbing us with guilt pangs in our consciences, it's good to remember what the Scripture repeatedly affirms: God only rebukes and disciplines those who are in relationship with Him. Hebrews 12:6 says, “...the Lord disciplines those whom He loves, and chastises every child whom He accepts.”
Sometimes, guilt is God's wake-up call to our hearts and minds, calling us to align parts of our lives where we may be rebelling against God back in line with Him and His will.
Occasionally, the guilt we feel is inappropriate. We may be shouldering more blame than we need to take.
Two things should be remembered:
(1) If you feel guilt, chances are you're spiritually healthier than many people. The only people certain of not being guilty for anything are people without consciences or contact with God.
(2) No matter what may make you feel guilty, you can talk it over with the God we meet in Jesus Christ, turn your life over to Him, be made new, and know that you have forgiveness and new life. Jesus died and rose to give these blessings to the whole guilty world! Second Corinthians 5:17 says:
"So if anyone is in Christ Jesus, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!"
[Wisdom picked up from the Old Testament book of wisdom, Proverbs]
Proverbs 9:8:
"A scoffer who is rebuked will only hate you; the wise, when rebuked, will love you."
This raises the question of whether one should ever bother rebuking a scoffer, a person who belittles the idea of faith in God. Generally, I don't think that people of faith should rebuke the skeptical. The perfect model of this behavior is Jesus, the One Christians believe was God-Come-to-Earth. Jesus never grew angry, never rebuked, unbelieving people. He was always very patient with them. He embodied the truth that the New Testament preacher Paul points to when he says that the kindness of God leads people to repentance, to turning to God.
The only people Jesus ever upbraided were "good churchgoing people" who claimed to follow God but were full of hatred or indifference to God and people.
If we sense that God is "getting on our cases" sometimes, disutrbing us with guilt pangs in our consciences, it's good to remember what the Scripture repeatedly affirms: God only rebukes and disciplines those who are in relationship with Him. Hebrews 12:6 says, “...the Lord disciplines those whom He loves, and chastises every child whom He accepts.”
Sometimes, guilt is God's wake-up call to our hearts and minds, calling us to align parts of our lives where we may be rebelling against God back in line with Him and His will.
Occasionally, the guilt we feel is inappropriate. We may be shouldering more blame than we need to take.
Two things should be remembered:
(1) If you feel guilt, chances are you're spiritually healthier than many people. The only people certain of not being guilty for anything are people without consciences or contact with God.
(2) No matter what may make you feel guilty, you can talk it over with the God we meet in Jesus Christ, turn your life over to Him, be made new, and know that you have forgiveness and new life. Jesus died and rose to give these blessings to the whole guilty world! Second Corinthians 5:17 says:
"So if anyone is in Christ Jesus, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!"
Changing Your World: Through God's Abundance
John 6:1-13
(Shared with the people of Friendship Church, July 27, 2003)
She was a nun now in her retirement years. Truth be known, she had been an indifferent nun whose prime distinction was her mediocre performance. But, at a time of life when she might be expected to sit back and do nothing, this unremarkable woman was on fire with a crazy idea, one she was pitching to her superiors. “I have three pennies and a dream from God to build an orphanage,” she said. They gently chided her. “You can't build an orphanage with three pennies.” The woman smiled and said, “I know. But with God and three pennies I can do anything.” That day, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was given permission to start an orphanage with just three pennies and God...and it was enough!
When Mother Teresa passed away, the whole world mourned. Why? Because she knew that if she offered what little she had and what little she was to God, God would use it and her to share His abundant love and change the world.
You and I have a call from God: In the Name of the crucified and risen Jesus, we're to be agents for positive change in an often-negative world. We’ve been talking about the ways we can do that. Today, I want to talk about how God can change the world by sharing His abundance through us.
We see God sharing His abundance in an unlikely and miraculous way in our Bible lesson for this morning. It tells about one of the most famous incidents in the life and ministry of God-Come-to-Earth, Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. Jesus and His followers are being mobbed by crowds wanting to be touched and healed by Him, taught by Him, served by Him. Jesus goes up to the top of a mountain and the whole mess of people follow Him.
Now, whenever Jesus goes to the top of a mountain, you know that He’s about to do some heavy-duty teaching. So, like a good inductive teacher, Jesus turns to one of His disciples, Philip, and asks, “Phil, where will we get the money to pay for the food needed to feed this mass of folks.” Today’s Bible lesson says that there were 5000 people there. The three other accounts we have of this incident, from the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, tell us that there were 5000 men there and probably lots of women and children too. Scholars agree that there were maybe 12-15,000 gathered on that mountain. So, imagine a Shoemaker- or Cintas Center full of people, hungry and hanging on Jesus’ every action and word. So, in response to Jesus’ question, Philip surveys the crowd. He pulls out his calculator and does some figuring. “A half-year’s salary wouldn’t cover the bill for feeding this army!” he tells Jesus.
After this discouraging report, Andrew, the earnest younger brother of Peter, scurries up to Jesus. He’s gone among the crowd and found that a little boy has five pieces of bread and two fish. But he tells Jesus, “Of course, that won’t even begin to feed all these people.”
Now John, the writer of our Bible lesson, makes it clear that Jesus knew what he was going to do all the time, but wanted to test the faith of His followers. So far, they have flunked the test. Although they have seen repeatedly what Jesus can do for those who trust Him, they just can’t imagine that He can solve this. They think that the hungry thousands are too big a problem for Him to handle. But it isn’t. No problem is too big for Jesus Christ and you and I should always remember that! The building in which we are worshiping this morning is testimony to that simple fact.
But Jesus isn’t impatient with His followers. He doesn’t stomp His feet, telling them how stupid they are. He doesn’t pout. He issues a simple command. “Tell the crowds to sit down,” He says.
After offering thanks to God the Father, Jesus takes the five loaves and the two fish offered by the little boy and turns it all into a feast for that huge group of people. There are even leftovers that are gathered into twelve baskets.
I wonder how that little boy felt. When he climbed that mountain after Jesus, he no doubt thought that he had just enough for a lunch and maybe a snack. This little guy may have been hungry. He may have felt skeptical when Jesus or one of His disciples asked him, “Would you be willing to share your food with everybody?” But when he gave the contents of his little bag to Jesus, Jesus was able to use it to bless thousands of people. He saw that with God and a little food, God could feed thousands!”
Now, there are is a huge lesson I draw from this incident. It’s this: God wants to use us to accomplish good things that would be impossible without Him. He wants to use us to share His abundant love with a spiritually-impoverished world.
David Graebel calls himself a “trucker who got a few good loads.” He’s chairman and CEO of Graebel Companies which manages all sorts of a moving and storage jobs throughout America. A few years ago, Graebel Moving was growing when, one day, it got its first million-dollar contract, a move to Dallas for a major company. To fulfill the contract, David Graebel bought six new trucks and hired additional help. The move was to happen on a Monday morning. The Thursday before that, Graebel got a telephone call. It was the president of the company that was to move to Dallas. “David,” he said, “you’ve been straight with us. I have to tell you that on Monday, we’re seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and there is no way we can honor our contract with you.”
Graebel felt that his world was crashing in around him. He could conceivably get rid of the equipment he had bought and let the people go he had hired for this job. But he knew that it would hurt his reputation and hurt a lot of people. “Finally,” he said, "I realized it was time to put my beliefs to the test. I came up with a plan to exercise some faith in my business..."
Graebel gathered his six regional sales managers and told them what an opportunity this setback had presented to them. They had new trucks, new equipment, more personnel. While at first they thought he had gone out of his mind, they eventually caught his enthusiasm and began generating ideas about what they could do.
Finally, they decided that on faith, with no prospect of repayment, they would make the million-dollar move. They figured it might help the bankrupt company and earn them goodwill in the business community and among their employeed. Graebel called the president of the company and asked: “Would it help you get back on your feet if we went ahead with the move and got your headquarters relocated to Dallas?”
The stunned company president said that it would help and that’s exactly what Graebel Movers did. The nearly-bankrupt company did get back on its feet and two years later, even though it wasn’t legally obligated to do so, paid Graebel Movers in full for the move they made as an act of daring faith! God wants to use us to accomplish good things that would be impossible without Him!
There’s a fable told about what happened in heaven after Jesus had died and risen from the dead. He speaks with the angel Gabriel. “Well now,” the angel says, “I had a lot of fun announcing your birth. But tell me, how did things go after that? Did you accomplish all that you set out to do?” “Yes,” Jesus is supposed to say, “I died and rose so that all who believe in Me will live with God forever.” “That’s great,” Gabriel says, “That will really change people’s lives.” The word angel, you know, means messenger. So, perhaps sensing a major new assignment for himself and all the angels in heaven, Gabriel asks Jesus, “How are you planning on spreading this good news in the world?” Jesus tells them, “I’ve given the message to people who believe in Me on earth. They’re going to spread the good news by their lives and their words.” Gabriel is flabbergasted. “But what if they mess up. People haven’t always been very reliable, Lord. Do you have a back-up plan?” “No,” Jesus says, “there is no other plan.”
You and I are Jesus’ plan for sharing His over-abundant love with a world that needs God’s love, forgiveness, hope, and power. There is no other plan. If Jesus believes in you and me that much, maybe we ought to believe in Him enough to, like the little boy with five loaves and two fish, offer the little we have and see what Jesus can make of it...and of us!
Last week, I issued a challenge, asking each of you to prayerfully consider where a large group from our congregation could go for a mission trip in about eighteen months’ time. It seems to have grabbed people’s hearts. Many folks have already made suggestions–Guatemala, Mexico, Jamaica, an Indian reservation in South Dakota. Let’s keep praying and make a decision about where we will go in about six months from now. And if you feel that you or our congregation are too small to dream such dreams, that’s okay. Remember the little boy. Remember Mother Teresa. We may be small. But the God we know in Jesus Christ is big enough to accomplish a world of good through people who follow Him!
[The true story about Mother Teresa comes from The Aladdin Factorby Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. The true story of David Graebel and Graebel Movers comes from The Power Behind Positive Thinking: Unlocking Your Spiritual Potential by Eric Fellman.]
John 6:1-13
(Shared with the people of Friendship Church, July 27, 2003)
She was a nun now in her retirement years. Truth be known, she had been an indifferent nun whose prime distinction was her mediocre performance. But, at a time of life when she might be expected to sit back and do nothing, this unremarkable woman was on fire with a crazy idea, one she was pitching to her superiors. “I have three pennies and a dream from God to build an orphanage,” she said. They gently chided her. “You can't build an orphanage with three pennies.” The woman smiled and said, “I know. But with God and three pennies I can do anything.” That day, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was given permission to start an orphanage with just three pennies and God...and it was enough!
When Mother Teresa passed away, the whole world mourned. Why? Because she knew that if she offered what little she had and what little she was to God, God would use it and her to share His abundant love and change the world.
You and I have a call from God: In the Name of the crucified and risen Jesus, we're to be agents for positive change in an often-negative world. We’ve been talking about the ways we can do that. Today, I want to talk about how God can change the world by sharing His abundance through us.
We see God sharing His abundance in an unlikely and miraculous way in our Bible lesson for this morning. It tells about one of the most famous incidents in the life and ministry of God-Come-to-Earth, Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. Jesus and His followers are being mobbed by crowds wanting to be touched and healed by Him, taught by Him, served by Him. Jesus goes up to the top of a mountain and the whole mess of people follow Him.
Now, whenever Jesus goes to the top of a mountain, you know that He’s about to do some heavy-duty teaching. So, like a good inductive teacher, Jesus turns to one of His disciples, Philip, and asks, “Phil, where will we get the money to pay for the food needed to feed this mass of folks.” Today’s Bible lesson says that there were 5000 people there. The three other accounts we have of this incident, from the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, tell us that there were 5000 men there and probably lots of women and children too. Scholars agree that there were maybe 12-15,000 gathered on that mountain. So, imagine a Shoemaker- or Cintas Center full of people, hungry and hanging on Jesus’ every action and word. So, in response to Jesus’ question, Philip surveys the crowd. He pulls out his calculator and does some figuring. “A half-year’s salary wouldn’t cover the bill for feeding this army!” he tells Jesus.
After this discouraging report, Andrew, the earnest younger brother of Peter, scurries up to Jesus. He’s gone among the crowd and found that a little boy has five pieces of bread and two fish. But he tells Jesus, “Of course, that won’t even begin to feed all these people.”
Now John, the writer of our Bible lesson, makes it clear that Jesus knew what he was going to do all the time, but wanted to test the faith of His followers. So far, they have flunked the test. Although they have seen repeatedly what Jesus can do for those who trust Him, they just can’t imagine that He can solve this. They think that the hungry thousands are too big a problem for Him to handle. But it isn’t. No problem is too big for Jesus Christ and you and I should always remember that! The building in which we are worshiping this morning is testimony to that simple fact.
But Jesus isn’t impatient with His followers. He doesn’t stomp His feet, telling them how stupid they are. He doesn’t pout. He issues a simple command. “Tell the crowds to sit down,” He says.
After offering thanks to God the Father, Jesus takes the five loaves and the two fish offered by the little boy and turns it all into a feast for that huge group of people. There are even leftovers that are gathered into twelve baskets.
I wonder how that little boy felt. When he climbed that mountain after Jesus, he no doubt thought that he had just enough for a lunch and maybe a snack. This little guy may have been hungry. He may have felt skeptical when Jesus or one of His disciples asked him, “Would you be willing to share your food with everybody?” But when he gave the contents of his little bag to Jesus, Jesus was able to use it to bless thousands of people. He saw that with God and a little food, God could feed thousands!”
Now, there are is a huge lesson I draw from this incident. It’s this: God wants to use us to accomplish good things that would be impossible without Him. He wants to use us to share His abundant love with a spiritually-impoverished world.
David Graebel calls himself a “trucker who got a few good loads.” He’s chairman and CEO of Graebel Companies which manages all sorts of a moving and storage jobs throughout America. A few years ago, Graebel Moving was growing when, one day, it got its first million-dollar contract, a move to Dallas for a major company. To fulfill the contract, David Graebel bought six new trucks and hired additional help. The move was to happen on a Monday morning. The Thursday before that, Graebel got a telephone call. It was the president of the company that was to move to Dallas. “David,” he said, “you’ve been straight with us. I have to tell you that on Monday, we’re seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and there is no way we can honor our contract with you.”
Graebel felt that his world was crashing in around him. He could conceivably get rid of the equipment he had bought and let the people go he had hired for this job. But he knew that it would hurt his reputation and hurt a lot of people. “Finally,” he said, "I realized it was time to put my beliefs to the test. I came up with a plan to exercise some faith in my business..."
Graebel gathered his six regional sales managers and told them what an opportunity this setback had presented to them. They had new trucks, new equipment, more personnel. While at first they thought he had gone out of his mind, they eventually caught his enthusiasm and began generating ideas about what they could do.
Finally, they decided that on faith, with no prospect of repayment, they would make the million-dollar move. They figured it might help the bankrupt company and earn them goodwill in the business community and among their employeed. Graebel called the president of the company and asked: “Would it help you get back on your feet if we went ahead with the move and got your headquarters relocated to Dallas?”
The stunned company president said that it would help and that’s exactly what Graebel Movers did. The nearly-bankrupt company did get back on its feet and two years later, even though it wasn’t legally obligated to do so, paid Graebel Movers in full for the move they made as an act of daring faith! God wants to use us to accomplish good things that would be impossible without Him!
There’s a fable told about what happened in heaven after Jesus had died and risen from the dead. He speaks with the angel Gabriel. “Well now,” the angel says, “I had a lot of fun announcing your birth. But tell me, how did things go after that? Did you accomplish all that you set out to do?” “Yes,” Jesus is supposed to say, “I died and rose so that all who believe in Me will live with God forever.” “That’s great,” Gabriel says, “That will really change people’s lives.” The word angel, you know, means messenger. So, perhaps sensing a major new assignment for himself and all the angels in heaven, Gabriel asks Jesus, “How are you planning on spreading this good news in the world?” Jesus tells them, “I’ve given the message to people who believe in Me on earth. They’re going to spread the good news by their lives and their words.” Gabriel is flabbergasted. “But what if they mess up. People haven’t always been very reliable, Lord. Do you have a back-up plan?” “No,” Jesus says, “there is no other plan.”
You and I are Jesus’ plan for sharing His over-abundant love with a world that needs God’s love, forgiveness, hope, and power. There is no other plan. If Jesus believes in you and me that much, maybe we ought to believe in Him enough to, like the little boy with five loaves and two fish, offer the little we have and see what Jesus can make of it...and of us!
Last week, I issued a challenge, asking each of you to prayerfully consider where a large group from our congregation could go for a mission trip in about eighteen months’ time. It seems to have grabbed people’s hearts. Many folks have already made suggestions–Guatemala, Mexico, Jamaica, an Indian reservation in South Dakota. Let’s keep praying and make a decision about where we will go in about six months from now. And if you feel that you or our congregation are too small to dream such dreams, that’s okay. Remember the little boy. Remember Mother Teresa. We may be small. But the God we know in Jesus Christ is big enough to accomplish a world of good through people who follow Him!
[The true story about Mother Teresa comes from The Aladdin Factorby Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. The true story of David Graebel and Graebel Movers comes from The Power Behind Positive Thinking: Unlocking Your Spiritual Potential by Eric Fellman.]
Friday, July 25, 2003
REFLECTIONS ON THE PROVERBS
(Notes I've made to myself about passages from this awesome book of wisdom from God found in the Old Testament section of the Bible.)
Proverbs 7:1-3:
"My child, keep My words with you; keep My commandments and live, keep My teachings as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart."
Through the years, it hasn't been just the confessions of the Church that have taught me that the Bible is more than a book (or more accurately, a library of books). The Bible is God's Word. So often, when I take the time to peruse it and really pay heed to it, I find that it has a word that speaks directly to my circumstances. Sometimes, I like to read it. Sometimes I don't. But always, I sense in its pages that I'm coming in contact with God. On their latest CD, The Beautiful Letdown, Switchfoot has a song called, "On Fire." The chorus says: "I'm on fire when You're near me, I'm on fire when You speak." God commends the Bible to us because it really His Word to us, a love letter to His beloved: us.
"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work" (Second Timothy 3:16-17).
(Notes I've made to myself about passages from this awesome book of wisdom from God found in the Old Testament section of the Bible.)
Proverbs 7:1-3:
"My child, keep My words with you; keep My commandments and live, keep My teachings as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart."
Through the years, it hasn't been just the confessions of the Church that have taught me that the Bible is more than a book (or more accurately, a library of books). The Bible is God's Word. So often, when I take the time to peruse it and really pay heed to it, I find that it has a word that speaks directly to my circumstances. Sometimes, I like to read it. Sometimes I don't. But always, I sense in its pages that I'm coming in contact with God. On their latest CD, The Beautiful Letdown, Switchfoot has a song called, "On Fire." The chorus says: "I'm on fire when You're near me, I'm on fire when You speak." God commends the Bible to us because it really His Word to us, a love letter to His beloved: us.
"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work" (Second Timothy 3:16-17).
Confession
C.S. Lewis observed his grief and said
How like fear it is
I’m not afraid, but I am aggrieved
By the passing of my life
I grieve the loss of moments wasted
As time passes over me
Like shadows in a time-lapse film
Like ocean waves that violently,
insensibly,
and without malice,
swallow the hapless swimmer swept far from shore.
Redeem the time, the Scriptures scream
Seize this day!
Live and love with passion and holy confidence!
A part of me, deep-entombed, shouts, Amen!
But more often than I want I find
I am unconscious in the garden,
My spirit willing
My flesh asleep
Waiting
Waiting
To be awakened.
C.S. Lewis observed his grief and said
How like fear it is
I’m not afraid, but I am aggrieved
By the passing of my life
I grieve the loss of moments wasted
As time passes over me
Like shadows in a time-lapse film
Like ocean waves that violently,
insensibly,
and without malice,
swallow the hapless swimmer swept far from shore.
Redeem the time, the Scriptures scream
Seize this day!
Live and love with passion and holy confidence!
A part of me, deep-entombed, shouts, Amen!
But more often than I want I find
I am unconscious in the garden,
My spirit willing
My flesh asleep
Waiting
Waiting
To be awakened.
QUOTE FOR TODAY AND A BIBLE PASSAGE:
“One night while baby-sitting, a grandfather passed his granddaughter’s room and overheard her repeating the alphabet in an oddly reverent fashion. ‘What on earth are you up to?’ he asked. ‘I’m saying my prayers,’ explained the little girl. ‘But I can’t think of exactly the right words tonight, so I’m just saying all the letters. God will put them together for me, because He knows what I’m thinking.” (Canfield and Hansen, The Aladdin Factor, p.260)
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words." (Romans 8:26)
“One night while baby-sitting, a grandfather passed his granddaughter’s room and overheard her repeating the alphabet in an oddly reverent fashion. ‘What on earth are you up to?’ he asked. ‘I’m saying my prayers,’ explained the little girl. ‘But I can’t think of exactly the right words tonight, so I’m just saying all the letters. God will put them together for me, because He knows what I’m thinking.” (Canfield and Hansen, The Aladdin Factor, p.260)
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words." (Romans 8:26)
Thursday, July 24, 2003
REFLECTIONS ON PROVERBS
[Through the years, my study of this Old Testament book has yielded a gold mine of God's wisdom. Now, if only I would live in the insights provided here...]
Proverbs 6:16-19
This passage lists seven things God hates: (1) haughty eyes; (2) a lying tongue; (3) hands that shed innocent blood; (4) a heart that devises wicked plans; (5) feet that hurry to run to evil; (6) a lying witness who testifies falsely; (7) one who sows discord in a family.
In a sermon series he did several years ago, Pastor Gerald Mann of Riverbend Church in Austin, Texas spoke of how people experience God in their lives. He called these individuals "God-feeling people" and suggested that they experience God by exhibiting the positive attributes which, according to this passage, are the opposite of the seven things God hates.
Mann looked at these attributes through the prism of Hebrew thought. The eyes, for example, were regarded by the ancient Hebrews as the windows of the soul. A person's eyes, it would thought, would demonstrate whether they were arrogant or humble. Humility is an attribute that allows God entry into our hearts and souls. On this score, I'm reminded of the story Jesus once told of the two men who went to the temple in Jerusalem to pray. One was a religious man, proud of his religiosity. He says to God, "I'm so thankful I'm not like other people. I'm thankful that I do the right things and I'm not like other people...like this tax collector over here." The other man praying in the temple was a tax collector, member of a brood who in that time were known as corrupt extortionists. The tax collector's prayer was simple. He said, "Have mercy on me, God; I'm a sinner." Jesus concludes His story by saying that the tax collector left the temple justified--that is, forgiven and right with God; he, not the religious man, had the humility to see himself truly and of his need for God.
Do Mann's exercise yourself: Turn the things that God hates around and see how God is able to make Himself known to you when you seek to live with the sort of honest need of Him that the tax collector exhibited.
Proverbs 6:32:
"But he who commits adultery has no sense; he who does it destroys himself."
I absolutely agree with this. My observation of people who’ve gotten involved and stayed involved with adulterous relationships has been that they’re sort of out of their minds. They are so deluded that they can’t understand the pain they’re causing to their spouses and families and friends and to themselves. I've seen it time and time again.
[Through the years, my study of this Old Testament book has yielded a gold mine of God's wisdom. Now, if only I would live in the insights provided here...]
Proverbs 6:16-19
This passage lists seven things God hates: (1) haughty eyes; (2) a lying tongue; (3) hands that shed innocent blood; (4) a heart that devises wicked plans; (5) feet that hurry to run to evil; (6) a lying witness who testifies falsely; (7) one who sows discord in a family.
In a sermon series he did several years ago, Pastor Gerald Mann of Riverbend Church in Austin, Texas spoke of how people experience God in their lives. He called these individuals "God-feeling people" and suggested that they experience God by exhibiting the positive attributes which, according to this passage, are the opposite of the seven things God hates.
Mann looked at these attributes through the prism of Hebrew thought. The eyes, for example, were regarded by the ancient Hebrews as the windows of the soul. A person's eyes, it would thought, would demonstrate whether they were arrogant or humble. Humility is an attribute that allows God entry into our hearts and souls. On this score, I'm reminded of the story Jesus once told of the two men who went to the temple in Jerusalem to pray. One was a religious man, proud of his religiosity. He says to God, "I'm so thankful I'm not like other people. I'm thankful that I do the right things and I'm not like other people...like this tax collector over here." The other man praying in the temple was a tax collector, member of a brood who in that time were known as corrupt extortionists. The tax collector's prayer was simple. He said, "Have mercy on me, God; I'm a sinner." Jesus concludes His story by saying that the tax collector left the temple justified--that is, forgiven and right with God; he, not the religious man, had the humility to see himself truly and of his need for God.
Do Mann's exercise yourself: Turn the things that God hates around and see how God is able to make Himself known to you when you seek to live with the sort of honest need of Him that the tax collector exhibited.
Proverbs 6:32:
"But he who commits adultery has no sense; he who does it destroys himself."
I absolutely agree with this. My observation of people who’ve gotten involved and stayed involved with adulterous relationships has been that they’re sort of out of their minds. They are so deluded that they can’t understand the pain they’re causing to their spouses and families and friends and to themselves. I've seen it time and time again.
QUOTE FOR TODAY, with a Bible Passage:
“If a man could have half his wishes, he would double his troubles.” Benjamin Franklin (quoted in Canfield and Hansen, The Aladdin Factor, p.17)
Jesus says, "...strive first for the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)
“If a man could have half his wishes, he would double his troubles.” Benjamin Franklin (quoted in Canfield and Hansen, The Aladdin Factor, p.17)
Jesus says, "...strive first for the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)
Tuesday, July 22, 2003
QUOTE FOR TODAY:
"Of course, being addicted to approval is not the same as having a healthy appreciation for praise. Affirmation and encouagement are good things...What a sad world it would be if artists were never applauded, if home runs were never cheered, if children received no expressions of wonder and amazement at their first steps, if authors received no encouraging notes or (worse yet) no royalties." (John Ortberg in The Life You've Always Wanted, p.164).
"Of course, being addicted to approval is not the same as having a healthy appreciation for praise. Affirmation and encouagement are good things...What a sad world it would be if artists were never applauded, if home runs were never cheered, if children received no expressions of wonder and amazement at their first steps, if authors received no encouraging notes or (worse yet) no royalties." (John Ortberg in The Life You've Always Wanted, p.164).
Here's an installment from Pastor Glen VanderKloot's OnLine with Faithfrom several weeks ago. It's a good one. If you'd like to receive Glen's daily inspirations, contact him via e-mail at pastor@faithlutheran.org.
*****************************************************
A Thought for the Day
Are kids influenced by what they see? The movie Finding Nemo has raked
in over $250 million at the box office. It has also been a source of
unexpected income for pet store owners across the country. That's
because children want their own orange and white clown fish which
average about $15 apiece. Since they are salt water fish, the
extras--filtration system, salt mix, water conditioner, etc.--can run a
parent an additional $300.
What do kids see in you and me?
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Bible Verse
1 Peter 5:3:
Set an example for them.
[Contemporary English Version]
Prayer
Lord, help me to set a positive example for others,
especially children to follow. Amen
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
*****************************************************
A Thought for the Day
Are kids influenced by what they see? The movie Finding Nemo has raked
in over $250 million at the box office. It has also been a source of
unexpected income for pet store owners across the country. That's
because children want their own orange and white clown fish which
average about $15 apiece. Since they are salt water fish, the
extras--filtration system, salt mix, water conditioner, etc.--can run a
parent an additional $300.
What do kids see in you and me?
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Bible Verse
1 Peter 5:3:
Set an example for them.
[Contemporary English Version]
Prayer
Lord, help me to set a positive example for others,
especially children to follow. Amen
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR FRIENDSHIP CHURCH FOLKS (but others can read them too):
1) I need three persons to act as a liaison committee between our congregation and Thrivent Financial Services for Lutherans. Thrivent, a not-for-profit financial services organization, pours millions of dollars each year into various church and community needs. By having this liaison group in place at Friendship, we gain access to the $1200.00 which Thrivent is making available to every Lutheran congregation every year. Let me know if you'd be willing to serve with this group.
(2) ATTENTION, MEN! You may remember that a few months ago, our friend Carl Hartman was with us, representing the "giving team" for the men's Christ Renews His Parish retreat at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection. Carl extended an invitation to Friendship men to receive this fun and spiritually-recharging weekend. Carl phoned me on Monday to say that (a) The men's weekend has been changed to November 8-9, 2003, and Friendship men are still invited and (b) Any Friendship men who have previously attended a Christ Renews His Parish retreat weekend are invited to become members of the giving team for the November weekend. If you'd be interested, let me know. Having been on several giving teams myself, I can tell you that it's a great experience!
(3) The special congregational meeting happens immediately following this coming Sunday's worship celebration. We have three agenda items: (a) Passage of a new constitution; (b) Passage of the new bylaws; (c) Election of a new church council. The reason for the new constitution and bylaws, as you know, is to (a) streamline our decision-making process; (b) spread ownership for ministry to more members of the congregation, depending on task forces, committees, and committed volunteers; (c) provide for the proper oversight of property now that we have our own building; (d) provide for the proper oversight of our outreach efforts. The meeting should only take a few minutes. Please plan on attending.
(4) Congratulations to Kelsey McHenry. Today, he successfully completed requirements for a special "God and Me" commendation with the Cub Scouts. Tell Kelsey that you're proud of him when you see him on Sunday!
(5) Keep praying about where in the world God might want to send us on a mission trip in about eighteen months; ask God if you should go, too (several folks have indicated a desire to go); and ask God to provide us with the financial resources to do it. There's a world that needs the love of Jesus and He sends us to share it!
1) I need three persons to act as a liaison committee between our congregation and Thrivent Financial Services for Lutherans. Thrivent, a not-for-profit financial services organization, pours millions of dollars each year into various church and community needs. By having this liaison group in place at Friendship, we gain access to the $1200.00 which Thrivent is making available to every Lutheran congregation every year. Let me know if you'd be willing to serve with this group.
(2) ATTENTION, MEN! You may remember that a few months ago, our friend Carl Hartman was with us, representing the "giving team" for the men's Christ Renews His Parish retreat at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection. Carl extended an invitation to Friendship men to receive this fun and spiritually-recharging weekend. Carl phoned me on Monday to say that (a) The men's weekend has been changed to November 8-9, 2003, and Friendship men are still invited and (b) Any Friendship men who have previously attended a Christ Renews His Parish retreat weekend are invited to become members of the giving team for the November weekend. If you'd be interested, let me know. Having been on several giving teams myself, I can tell you that it's a great experience!
(3) The special congregational meeting happens immediately following this coming Sunday's worship celebration. We have three agenda items: (a) Passage of a new constitution; (b) Passage of the new bylaws; (c) Election of a new church council. The reason for the new constitution and bylaws, as you know, is to (a) streamline our decision-making process; (b) spread ownership for ministry to more members of the congregation, depending on task forces, committees, and committed volunteers; (c) provide for the proper oversight of property now that we have our own building; (d) provide for the proper oversight of our outreach efforts. The meeting should only take a few minutes. Please plan on attending.
(4) Congratulations to Kelsey McHenry. Today, he successfully completed requirements for a special "God and Me" commendation with the Cub Scouts. Tell Kelsey that you're proud of him when you see him on Sunday!
(5) Keep praying about where in the world God might want to send us on a mission trip in about eighteen months; ask God if you should go, too (several folks have indicated a desire to go); and ask God to provide us with the financial resources to do it. There's a world that needs the love of Jesus and He sends us to share it!
Monday, July 21, 2003
TAKE A DIVE WITH S.C.U.B.A.
Children of preschool age through the fifth grade are invited to participate in Friendship Church's vacation Bible school, SCUBA, Super Cool Undersea Bible Adventure!
It happens August 4 through August 8, from 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. in Friendship's brand new building at 1300 White Oak Road.
Through a variety of fun learning experiences, children will learn to believe in God, obey God, trust in God, love God, and share God's love.
There is no registration fee for students coming to SCUBA at Friendship. The people of Friendship believe that the love of God, given to the world through Jesus Christ, is a free gift. SCUBA is therefore being offered to the community as a gift. However, parents wishing to make a contribution to help offset the congregation's expenses and to help enable the congregation to offer still more such opportunities to the community, they may do so.
To register your child for SCUBA, call the Friendship Church office at 752-5265 or you can e-mail the church at FriendCh@aol.com.
Children of preschool age through the fifth grade are invited to participate in Friendship Church's vacation Bible school, SCUBA, Super Cool Undersea Bible Adventure!
It happens August 4 through August 8, from 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. in Friendship's brand new building at 1300 White Oak Road.
Through a variety of fun learning experiences, children will learn to believe in God, obey God, trust in God, love God, and share God's love.
There is no registration fee for students coming to SCUBA at Friendship. The people of Friendship believe that the love of God, given to the world through Jesus Christ, is a free gift. SCUBA is therefore being offered to the community as a gift. However, parents wishing to make a contribution to help offset the congregation's expenses and to help enable the congregation to offer still more such opportunities to the community, they may do so.
To register your child for SCUBA, call the Friendship Church office at 752-5265 or you can e-mail the church at FriendCh@aol.com.
REFLECTIONS ON PROVERBS
[These are thoughts that have crossed my mind as I've read from this fantastic Old Testament book through the years.]
Proverbs 5:8:
[advice to a young man regarding the sexual advances of a woman of loose morals] "Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house."
This reflects advice--implied and overt--which fills the Scriptures: the best way to deal with temptation is to run from it. Fast!
It's what Joseph did when the wife of his slavemaster was insistent in trying to entice him into the sack. Although having been turned down by Joseph, she was able to convince her husband that she had been a victim of rape and thereby have Joseph imprisoned, Joseph never regretted doing things God's way. It was simply inconceivable to him that he would violate God's will or the sanctity of his master's marriage. Joseph ran away from temptation and so, even during long years of unjust imprisonment, enjoyed God's favor.
The New Testament says: "No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing He will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it" (First Corinthians 10:13).
To the person who is seeking to follow Jesus Christ, God sends definite signals--a thought, a remembered passage of Scripture, a friend's words, the fortuitous ringing of a telephone--that will help them to avoid temptations that could drag them down into the swamp of sin. We can ignore those signals and the more often we ignore them, the weaker our connection with God becomes. But God is willing to help us to run from what's wrong in order to run to a life filled with life, joy, peace, and fulfillment.
When we have run away from living God's way, we still have a fantastic promise. The New Testament book of First John says: "...if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world" (First John 2:1-2).
Proverbs 6:6:
"Go to the ant, you lazybones; consider its ways, and be wise."
This is an awesome passage, one of my favorites. God wants us to be productive.
To each of us, God gives talents, abilities, and passions. From this raw material, he wants us to develop our lives and our habits and be the very best versions of ourselves that we can be.
Often, people learn that we become acceptable to God not because of anything we do, but because of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ and they think that means that we can simply sit back and put our lives on cruise control.
In fact, being freed from worrying about death frees the follower of Christ to really get on with the business of living--using the potential that God gives to every one of us and being all we were made by God to be. (I readily admit that I usually fail to fulfill my own personal potential, something I regularly come back to God to be forgiven for and helped with in overcoming.)
Work then, when done to love God and love neighbor and do something useful, isn't punishment, or drudgery, or something to be endured. It's a sacred privilege. Even when our work is done in such a spirit, there will be times of tedium and even of boredom. But God will revive our flagging spirits when we remember who we are and why we do the work we do.
An awesome passage of the New Testament says: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God--not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what He has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life" (Ephesians 2:8-10).
[These are thoughts that have crossed my mind as I've read from this fantastic Old Testament book through the years.]
Proverbs 5:8:
[advice to a young man regarding the sexual advances of a woman of loose morals] "Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house."
This reflects advice--implied and overt--which fills the Scriptures: the best way to deal with temptation is to run from it. Fast!
It's what Joseph did when the wife of his slavemaster was insistent in trying to entice him into the sack. Although having been turned down by Joseph, she was able to convince her husband that she had been a victim of rape and thereby have Joseph imprisoned, Joseph never regretted doing things God's way. It was simply inconceivable to him that he would violate God's will or the sanctity of his master's marriage. Joseph ran away from temptation and so, even during long years of unjust imprisonment, enjoyed God's favor.
The New Testament says: "No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing He will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it" (First Corinthians 10:13).
To the person who is seeking to follow Jesus Christ, God sends definite signals--a thought, a remembered passage of Scripture, a friend's words, the fortuitous ringing of a telephone--that will help them to avoid temptations that could drag them down into the swamp of sin. We can ignore those signals and the more often we ignore them, the weaker our connection with God becomes. But God is willing to help us to run from what's wrong in order to run to a life filled with life, joy, peace, and fulfillment.
When we have run away from living God's way, we still have a fantastic promise. The New Testament book of First John says: "...if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world" (First John 2:1-2).
Proverbs 6:6:
"Go to the ant, you lazybones; consider its ways, and be wise."
This is an awesome passage, one of my favorites. God wants us to be productive.
To each of us, God gives talents, abilities, and passions. From this raw material, he wants us to develop our lives and our habits and be the very best versions of ourselves that we can be.
Often, people learn that we become acceptable to God not because of anything we do, but because of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ and they think that means that we can simply sit back and put our lives on cruise control.
In fact, being freed from worrying about death frees the follower of Christ to really get on with the business of living--using the potential that God gives to every one of us and being all we were made by God to be. (I readily admit that I usually fail to fulfill my own personal potential, something I regularly come back to God to be forgiven for and helped with in overcoming.)
Work then, when done to love God and love neighbor and do something useful, isn't punishment, or drudgery, or something to be endured. It's a sacred privilege. Even when our work is done in such a spirit, there will be times of tedium and even of boredom. But God will revive our flagging spirits when we remember who we are and why we do the work we do.
An awesome passage of the New Testament says: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God--not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what He has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life" (Ephesians 2:8-10).
A QUOTE FOR THE DAY:
"The best argument for Christianity is Christians; their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians--when they are sombre and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug..., when they are narrow and repressive, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths." (Sheldon Vanauken, quoted in the Joe Aldrich book, Life-Style Evangelism, p.21)
"The best argument for Christianity is Christians; their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians--when they are sombre and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug..., when they are narrow and repressive, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths." (Sheldon Vanauken, quoted in the Joe Aldrich book, Life-Style Evangelism, p.21)
Here's today's e-mailed inspiration from Pastor Glen VanderKloot and the people of Faith Lutheran Church of Springfield, Illinois. (To be added to the list of recipients of OnLine with Faith, contact Glen at pastor@faithlutheran.com.)
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A Thought for the Day
Faith is not believing in my own unshakable belief.
Faith is believing an unshakable God when everything
in me trembles and quakes.
~ Beth Moore ~
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Bible Verse
Hebrews 11:1
Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and
gives us proof of what we cannot see.
Contemporary English Version
Prayer
Lord, fill me with faith. Amen
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
*****************************************************
A Thought for the Day
Faith is not believing in my own unshakable belief.
Faith is believing an unshakable God when everything
in me trembles and quakes.
~ Beth Moore ~
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Bible Verse
Hebrews 11:1
Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and
gives us proof of what we cannot see.
Contemporary English Version
Prayer
Lord, fill me with faith. Amen
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
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