What We Have

Someone once said, "We are successful the moment we focus on what we have instead of what we lack."

Moses faced a similar situation when God called him to lead the people of Israel out of slavery. Moses' response was "What if they don't listen to me?"

God's response was "What do you have?" Then the Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" (Exodus 4:2)

What Moses had was a rod. But it was more than a rod; it symbolized the power of God, and it was all Moses needed. That rod taught Moses not to look at what he had lacked, but look at what he had: the power of God in his life.

What do you have? Along with your talent and your determination, you can list the power of God among your assets. And needless to say, it goes at the top of the list.

Whatever challenges you are facing — whatever seemingly insurmountable odds — remember that the key to victory is focusing on what you have, not on what you lack

Holy Spirit Speak

I saw an ad at a website offering an email subscription to "Daily Quotes from the Holy Spirit." Apparently, they send you an email each morning with some words spoken especially for you by the Holy Spirit. I have no idea what kind of quotes they are. The site looks kind of new-agey, so I imagine they follow that pattern.

I didn't subscribe, but I have to admit I liked the idea of hearing from the Holy Spirit everyday. Imagine starting everyday with a word from him, a word specifically spoken for you. Wouldn't that be great?

I guess you know where I'm going with this. We can start everyday with a personal word from the Holy Spirit, email not required. All you need is a Bible and willingness to listen.

I'll admit that when I read scripture early in the day, sometimes I'm reading with the intention of finishing and moving on to the next thing. Or sometimes I'm reading with the intention of finding a sermon.

Sometimes I forget that I could be listening for the voice of the Holy Spirit -- that he is ready to speak to my heart, if I will just sit still long enough to hear him.

Let's remember each day that he is willing to speak to each one of us, that he is just waiting for us to stop and listen. "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)

Give It Away

Debbie Fields, founder of Mrs. Fields' Cookies, said that her best public relations approach was a good cookie. When she was twenty years old and newly married, she wanted to sell the soft, chewy cookies that she'd been baking at home. She opened her first cookie store, and the first day nobody bought any.

So, she filled a tray, stepped out onto the sidewalk, and began giving cookies away. People followed her back to the store—to buy.

Even today, with over 700 stores, she uses the same technique. At every location, passersby are invited in to sample free cookies.

Sounds like an odd way to build a business, doesn't it? Getting people to buy your product by giving it away? It worked, because Mrs. Fields realized that her primary objective wasn't really making money; it was serving customers.

Danny Thomas said, "Success has nothing to do with what you gain or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others." This is why Thomas will be remembered for establishing St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis long after people have forgotten "Make Room For Daddy."

Jesus taught us to live by this principle of "What Can I Do For You?" He said, "Whoever wants to become great among you must become a servant." (Matthew 20:26)

Whatever secondary roles we may fill in our lives, we must keep in mind that the primary role for all believers is that of a servant. Every day offers a new opportunity to invest our lives in others.

Today's The Day!

Mel Fisher spent his life diving for buried treasure. In the late 1960's he began a quest for the priceless treasure cargo of the fabled lost Spanish galleon Atocha. Every day, for more than 16 years, Mel, his wife, his children, and his band of "Treasure Salvors" explored the waters off the coast of Florida, in search of riches.

He motivated his team and kept the dream alive by beginning each day's hunt with the cry: "Today's the day!" Finally, after more than 16 years of searching, that day arrived.

On July 20, 1985 Mel Fisher's team discovered the Atocha, containing a treasure worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The days of sporadic paychecks and living hand-to-mouth were over for Mel and his team.

Solomon tells us that if we'll search for wisdom the same way Mel searched for riches, we'll find an even greater reward: the knowledge of God.

The Bible makes the bold promise that within its pages you can discover foundational truths upon which you can build your marriage, your career, your family, your finances, your friendships, your relationship to God, and every aspect of your life.

And the best part is: these truths aren't elusive. It doesn't take 16 years to find treasure. When you search the Bible for God's direction for your life, you can make a new discovery every day. On one day you'll be reminded of someone you need to forgive; on another day you'll get insight in how to deal with a problem at work; on another day you'll become aware of a sin you need to confess, and on and on.

When you open the pages of your Bible, you can truly say, "Today's the Day!" We haven't been put on earth to stumble in the dark. God's light is available to us. He speaks to us each day, giving us the direction we need, if we will only search for it.

In speaking of wisdom for daily living, Solomon said, If you look for it as silver, and search for it as hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2:4-5)

Truth Project Pt. 6

This Sunday as we continue our journey with the sixth week of the Truth Project, we are going to talk about “History: The Importance of Remembering the Past.”

When we forget the past we lose the anchor that keeps us from drifting. When we forget the sacrifices made for our freedom we start taking that freedom for granted. And when we forget our spiritual roots we begin drifting away from God.

As a nation we have tried to keep our history alive through monuments. We have monuments to various wars. We have museums that contain artifacts that tell the story of the past. We place monuments in cemeteries and study family genealogical records, all in an attempt to keep our "history" alive.

This Sunday we are going to talk about the importance of doing the same thing in our spiritual lives.

From the very beginning of Israel's history in Exodus 13 God made a habit of building monuments and establishing symbols that would keep people informed.

They were designed to make people stop and remember God's power, God's love, and God's faithfulness. This Sunday we are going to examine, why we need to remember, what we need to remember, and how we can remember more effectively!

The Adventure Continues

One of my favorite show business story is one that happened years ago. It's about the Glenn Miller band. Their bus broke down in the middle of nowhere and they were late for a gig so the band members were forced to walk a long distance into town through snow, ice and mud carrying their instruments.

While trudging through a field, they came across a farmhouse. Inside they could see a family sitting by the fire, husband reading the paper, wife knitting, children playing on the floor with their toys: a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting. One of the musician shuddered and said to another, "How do people live like that?"

Performers get that joke. So should those of us in the ministry. Though there's nothing wrong with a "Rockwellian lifestyle," we need to aspire for something more. If we're not getting our hands dirty, if we're not roughing it a little bit, if we're not trudging through ice or snow, so to speak, in order to get the job done — then we're asking too little of ourselves.

Sometimes my life has the ease and comfort of a Rockwell painting, and I treasure those moments. But the crazy times — those remind me that the ministry (and the life of discipleship) is intended to be an adventure. It's inconvenient sometimes, and occasionally repetitious, and often demanding — but it's an adventure. And as for me, I wouldn't trade it for anything else.

Here's Matthew 16:24 in the New Living Translation: "If anyone of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life."

Personal Retreat

For the next few days I'll be on a personal retreat at Avalon, NJ. I look forward to these times away. Gives me an opportunity to do some extended praying, reading, planning, etc.

So, if I'm quiet for a few days you'll know why. In the meantime, if there's something I can pray with you about leave me a comment.

In The Beginning God...

"It was a dark and stormy night;" was the opening line of every book Snoopy ever started to write in the Peanuts comic strip. There's something about opening lines. You know, for example, when you hear the phrase "Once upon a time," that you are about to hear a story.

Opening lines set the stage; they introduce the plot and characters. They set everything in motion.

This Sunday at Christian Life Center as we continue our journey with the fifth week of the Truth Project, we are going to set this story in motion. You can't understand God's story without starting in Genesis 1.

The story is really quite simple. It starts out in the Garden of Eden, when the world is good. We get all the way into chapter three before man falls apart. God sets into motion a redemptive plan while man continues to rebel and fall.

God sends his son, and man rejects him. God initiates a final covenant called the church. Some people respond to it; some don't. The church is sent forth into the world to retell the story. Some people receive it; some don't. Ultimately God returns and takes us back into a garden.

When we look at chapter one of the creation story, we find ourselves with what one man calls the prelude and the plot. It is musical and poetic, and it sets up the story. The underpinning assumption is that the story begins with an act of God: "In the beginning God."

If you accept the statement "In the beginning God," then everything else about Scripture falls into place and leaves no room for debate. Genesis 1:1–2 sets the stage for everything that's going to happen!

Grace is Amazing!

I love these quotes on grace! I especially like the one by Jerry Bridges...what a powerful thought!

Grace creates liberated laughter. The grace of God in Jesus Christ is beautiful, and it radiates joy and awakens humor. —Karl Barth

Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace. —Jerry Bridges

Thank God, he doesn't measure grace out in teaspoons. —Amy Carmichael

Grace is but glory begun, and glory is but grace perfected. —Jonathan Edwards

You will never be called upon to give anyone more grace than God has already given you. —Max Lucado

Suspended from work for praying??

Here's a story from The Telegraph you'll find interesting. There's a link at the bottom of the post for the full story.

Caroline Petrie, a committed Christian, has been accused by her employers of failing to demonstrate a "personal and professional commitment to equality and diversity".
She faces disciplinary action and could lose her job over the incident.

Mrs Petrie, a married mother of two, says she has been left shocked and upset by the action taken against her.

The incident which led to her suspension took place at the home of a woman patient in Winscombe, North Somerset.

"It was around lunchtime and I had spent about 20 to 25 minutes with her. I had applied dressings to her legs and shortly before I left I said to her: 'Would you like me to pray for you?'

"She said 'No, thank you.' And I said: 'OK.' I only offered to pray for her because I was concerned about her welfare and wanted her to get better."

However, after the incident on December 15, she was contacted by the trust and asked to explain her actions.

The woman patient, who is believed to be in her late 70s, is understood to have complained to the trust.

Mrs Petrie said that she often offers to pray for her patients and that many take her up on it.

She insists she has never forced her own religious beliefs on anyone but politely inquired if the elderly patient wanted her to pray for her – either in the woman's presence or after the nurse had left the patient's home. She has been a committed Christian since she was ten – after her mother died of breast cancer.

"I simply couldn't believe that I have been suspended over this. I knew I hadn't done anything wrong. All I am trying to do is help my patients, many of whom want me to pray for them," she said.

Here's a link to the story

Mercy

St. Francis of Assisi said, "You should not let a single person in the world, whatever sin that person may have committed, come before your eyes and depart without having found mercy with you...

And were that person to come to you a thousand times, continue to love them so as to lead them back to the right path. Always have compassion, for all of us have sinned." —St. Francis of Assisi

"If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." (Luke 17:3-4)

Truth Project Pt. 4

This week we continue our journey with the fourth week of the Truth Project. This Sunday on our Worldview Tour we’ll be talking about Theology: Who is God?

Who is God? He's been described as everything from an impersonal life-force to a benevolent, personal, almighty Creator. He has been called by many names, including: "Zeus," "Jupiter," "Brahma," "Allah," "Ra," and "the Great Spirit" to name just a few. He's seen by some as "Mother Nature" and by others as "Father God." But who is He really? Who does He claim to be?

For people who don’t believe in a Divine Presence, God is just a three-letter word, a word that is spoken as derogatory slang, in fits of rage or casual conversation. There is no meaning other than to fill up a sentence. In their search for meaning in their lives, they look to what they can visualize, touch, and feel. The word ‘god’ is given to the satisfaction of their desires.

But for a Christ follower, God is the ever-living Presence who desires to be a part of our lives that He became Life to us.

He gives us promises in the Bible that were true centuries ago, are true today, and will be true tomorrow. He has promised us ‘life and life abundantly!’

"Get it done" Leaders

I love reading Nehemiah 3. It's a list of everyone who finished the Jerusalem Wall project they were assigned: Eliashib and his fellow priests rebuilt the Sheep Gate, the sons of Hassenaah rebuilt the Fish Gate, Joiada repaired the Old Gate, and on and on. If Hebrews 11 is the roll call of faith, Nehemiah 3 is the roll call of responsibility.

However, one verse in this chapter sticks out: The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors. (Nehemiah 3:5)

I can imagine that the nobles were the type that didn't mind helping supervise the project, but Nehemiah says that they didn't want to "put their shoulders to the work." Ever worked with someone like that? Someone who could pinpoint the problem, but was of no real use in bringing about a solution? Someone who saw themselves as being just a little above the hands-on effort required to complete a project?

British General Alan Brooke said, "It is child's play deciding what should be done as compared with getting it done."

This is what I look for more than anything else when hiring an employee or placing a person in ministry leadership: the ability to get things done. It's also one of the characteristics I most want instilled in my children. And it's a quality I try to build in myself.

The most effective leaders can do more than diagnose the problem. They can take the steps necessary to make the problem go away

Conflict Resolution

If you're married you will appreciate this. Even if you're single, however, the importance of communication can't be overlooked!

A married couple were in the middle of a long quarrel that had now deteriorated to each giving the other the silent treatment. This went on for several days.

One night the man realized that he would need his wife's help in the morning in order to catch an early flight. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence, he wrote on a piece of paper, "Please wake me at 5 a.m."

The next morning the man woke up to find himself alone, the sun shine was shining into the bedroom, and the clock said 7:30 a.m. His flight was long gone. Next to his pillow he saw a note from his wife. It said, "It's 5 a.m. Wake up."

Go Steelers

Wow! What a game. One of the best Super Bowls in a while. Congrats to all the Steeler fans! Only 7 months till it starts all over again.

Thoughts From An Atheist

In researching some things for The Truth Project I came across an interesting article.

Matthew Parris, a writer for the London Times and a 'devout' atheist, grew up in what is now known as Malawi, a small country in Africa. He returned for a visit shortly before Christmas, and the work he witnessed there among Christian organizations challenged his world view. In a Times column, he wrote ...

Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.

You can read the entire column here. As I read this article, I kept thinking, "This is how the church should appear to non-Christians." The article also reveals, I believe, what non-believers are looking for -- what they hope to see -- in people who profess the Christian faith.